FINNISH ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SUPPORT TURKEY OVER FRENCH BILL
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara

Zaman Online, Turkey
Oct 11, 2006

The Party of European Socialists (PES) has said that it feels uneasy
about the bill envisaging punishment for a denial of the Armenian
genocide.

Finnish Assembly President Paavo Lipponen, also the president of the
advisory board of the PES Turkey Group, said, "the so-called Armenian
genocide will never be a criterion for Turkey’s membership to the EU."

He used "the so-called Armenian genocide" phrase during his entire
speech and worried about the consequences of the bill’s passage.

Lipponen noted that he would take the matter up with Francois Hollande,
the secretary general of France’s Socialist Party, a member of PES.

Asking Turkey to open its Armenian border, he went on to say that
Turkey should be reconciled with its past. Supporting Turkey’s full
membership and opposing a privileged partnership, he also praised
the Justice and Development Party (AKP) as a "real reformist party."

"There are many more things to be undertaken in the direction of
economic and social growth; however, this party has contributed a
great deal to the development of Turkish society," he remarked.

Without naming it, he also criticized the Turkish opposition People’s
Republic Party (CHP) by saying, "I hope all the parties in the
Turkish parliament adopt a positive approach in terms of supporting
the government for the continuation of the reforms."

He also expressed his concern about the rise of Turkish nationalism,
adding that "issues related to the EU are being exploited."