REACTIONS TO FRENCH PARLIAMENT’S DRAFT LAW ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Turkish Press
Oct 24 2006

ANKARA – "France’s attitude towards Turkey is not friendly. We are
deeply concerned over such an attitude from France. The Turkish
parliament will respond to any step taken against Turkey," Turkish
Speaker of Parliament Bulent Arinc said today in regard to a draft law
that makes any denial of so-called Armenian genocide a crime in France.

Another fierce reaction came from Chairman of the Turkish Union of
Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Rifat Hisarciklioglu. "If
the French parliament approves the draft law on so-called Armenian
genocide, this would be due to electoral concerns and desire to
attract voters. The reaction of the Turks will be immense if the
draft law gets approved," noted Hisarciklioglu.,

Hak-Is Labor Union’s Chairman Salim Uslu remarked that the draft law
on so-called Armenian genocide will obstruct freedom of thought and
expression. "The French should remember the genocide they committed in
Algeria. More than 1.5 million Algerians were killed by the French,"
said Uslu.

A deputy of the Turkish Motherland Party (Anavatan) from
Afyonkarahisar, Reyhan Balandi indicated that "France’s hands won’t be
enough to close the eyes of the world. Once all archives are studied,
the reality will come to surface. French leaders should accept charges
of massacring Algerians in a planned and brutal way.

We have lived with Armenians as brothers and sisters for 900 years.

If the Armenians abandon claims of genocide, Turkey will help Armenia’s
development," commented Balandi.

Deputy leader of the Turkish-French Interparliamentary Friendship
Group Omer Ozyilmaz stressed that "if the draft law on so-called
Armenian genocide gets approved in the French parliament, this would
be a serious blow to political and commercial relations with France."

The Federation of Family Members of Turks Killed or Wounded by
Armenians During World War I announced that it will start a campaign
under the title of "I reject the allegations of a genocide. Put me in
jail, France!" The campaign is directed at Turkish nationals living
in France. The federation wants to make France the biggest jail of
the world. "The acceptance of the draft law on so-called Armenian
genocide will hurt Turkish-Armenian relations and damage global and
regional peace," said the federation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Erol Kurkcuoglu of the Turkish-Armenian Relations
Research Center at the Ataturk University in eastern city of Erzurum
noted that "France wants to use the Armenia issue as a political
tool." The approval of the bill that makes all denials of so-called
Armenian genocide a crime would be devastating for relations,
expressed Kurkcuoglu.

Kurkcuoglu added that, in the year 2005, 90 French historians presented
a statement to the French parliament clearly showing that there was
not any Armenian genocide.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress