Jacques Chirac Never Apologized To Turkish Prime Minister

JACQUES CHIRAC NEVER APOLOGIZED TO TURKISH PRIME MINISTER

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 16 2006

In a phone talk with the Prime Minister of Turkey Rejeb Tayyib Erdogan
the President of France Jacques Chirac repeated the words about the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide he uttered during his state
visit to Armenia, Press Service of Elisee Palace told "ArmInfo.

The press service refuted the information disseminated by Turkish
media, according to which President Chirac had apologized for the
adoption of the bill penalizing the negation of the Armenian Genocide
by the lower house of the French Parliament. According to Turkish
media, Chirac had promised to block adoption of a corresponding law
in future.

"The phone talk really took place, but we do not confirm the
information disseminated by Turkish media. During the conversation
with the Turkish Prime Minister Chirac repeated the words he said in
Yerevan, emphasizing the necessity of acknowledgement of the Armenian
Genocide by Ankara if Turkey wants to join the European Union,"
the official source of the Elisee Palace noted.