SARKOZY ANNOUNCES BACKING FOR ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 25 2007

French presidential frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy followed in the
footsteps of his main contender, Socialist candidate Segolene Royal,
and announced that he backed a controversial bill that criminalizes
denial of an alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of the late
Ottoman Empire.

Greek riot police clash with Armenian demonstrators outside the
Turkish Consulate during a protest in Thessaloniki on Tuesday.

Sarkozy said, in a message sent to the Coordination Council of
Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), that he supported penalties
against denial of the alleged genocide, the Anatolia news agency
reported. Sarkozy sent the message on the occasion of the anniversary
of what Armenians claim is the beginning of a systematic genocide
campaign in eastern Anatolia some 92 years ago.

The lower house of the French Parliament already approved the bill
last year, which seeks up to three years in jail for those who dispute
claims that Armenians were subject to genocide during the World War
I. The bill has angered Turkey, which categorically refutes genocide
charges and says the killings came when the Armenians revolted against
the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with the invading Russian army.

Royal has recently pledged that the bill would be passed in the
Senate in autumn if her party emerges as victor of the presidential
election. Contrary to Royal, Sarkozy declined to say when the bill
would be passed in the event of his victory in the polls.

Sarkozy said in his message to the CCAF that he was loyal to free
academic research and freedom of expression and added that he believed
the bill should not be used to prosecute those who express personal
opinions on the issue.

But he added: "France cannot accept propaganda by a ‘negationist
state,’ apparently referring to Turkey. Sarkozy said he favored the
use of bill to ban demonstrations and conferences to deny the alleged
Armenian genocide.

Sarkozy is an opponent of Turkey’s EU membership. Armenian groups
say Turkey should be forced to recognize the alleged genocide before
being able to join the 27-nation bloc.