FRANCE MADE A GREAT MISTAKE, TUSIAD

Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006

ANKARA – Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD) stressed that "France has made a great mistake" after the
French national assembly adopted a bill on criminalizing denial of
so-called Armenian genocide.

In a written statement issued by the association, it was underlined
that French national assembly has taken a step against both the
European soul and its demands from the EU candidate states about
democratization.

France mortgaged its foreign policy in order to gain the votes of
the Armenians in France and the French politicians didn’t have the
required authority and expertise to make a judgment on the issue,
the statement said.

"In this context, we condemn the judgment made on political grounds
by political mechanisms. French national assembly will deprive the
judgment of its ability to judge independently by criminalizing any
denial of so-called Armenian genocide" said the statement.

"Today the most proper response would be to walk on our path towards
EU full membership without any deviation as a negotiating country and
to accelerate the political reforms comprising freedom of speech,"
it said.

Turkey’s call for investigation of the issue together with Armenia by
a joint commission gained importance once again in terms of determining
the truth. Turkey needs a consistent and legally sound policy to bring
an end to the unjust accusations towards the Republic of Turkey,"
the statement added.