TURKISH PARLIAMENT ISSUES DECLARATION CONDEMNING FRENCH DECISION

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
16 Oct 2006

Ankara, 17 October: Turkish parliament condemned the decision of the
French parliament which adopted a resolution criminalizing denial of
so-called Armenian genocide allegations.

A declaration, prepared by the deputy group chairmen of ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP), main opposition Republican People’s Party
(CHP), Motherland Party, was also signed by True Path Party (DYP)
leader Mehmet Agar and Young Party MP Emin Sirin. It was adopted in
the session.

Recalling that the resolution was adopted with votes of only one-fifth
of the French MPs and many MPs abstained, the resolution said that
all these show that the MPs were affected by the internal policy
discussions and the Armenian minority.

The resolution pointed out that France caused killing of more than
one million innocent people in Algeria, Indochina, Madagascar and some
other African countries, noting that everybody should talk carefully
about historical incidents that occurred in other countries.

"There is nothing in Turkey’s history which makes Turkish nation
ashamed," the declaration emphasized.

According to the declaration, many historians, including French
historians, have proved that the incidents that occurred during
the World War I cannot be defined as "genocide" under international
conventions. It said that there are many documents in Turkish archives
regarding this matter, and they are open to all researchers.

It will cost too much

The declaration recalled that the Turkish parliament suggested Armenia
to set up a joint commission of historians who would investigate the
historical incidents, and regretted that the Armenian government did
not respond in affirmative.

"With this resolution, the French parliament not only harms our
relations (Turkish-French relations) but also hampers efforts to
normalize our relations with Armenia. It is obvious that adoption
of this resolution will cause irreparable wounds in our political,
economic and military relations. These hostile policies carried out
by Armenia against Turkish nation, by lobbying in France and other
countries, will cost too much for them. Our parliament wants to believe
that the French parliament will act in common sense from now on. The
measures Turkish government will take during this process will show
how France’s interests can be harmed if the resolution is legalized,"
it added.