FRENCH EX-PREMIER: TURKEY SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2008 14:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A fervent supporter of Turkey’s accession to the
European Union, former French Prime Minister, Michel Rocard, declared
that Europe needs Turkey and the ex-soviet republics, in particular
for energy reasons, independent French journalist Jean Eckian told
PanARMENIAN.Net.

He however indicated that "Turkey should settle the Cyprus issue and
recognize the Armenian Genocide". "Turkey knows this," he said.

"France also had difficulties with condemnation of the Vichy regime,"
he remarked.

Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to
describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944. This
government, which succeeded the Third Republic, officially called
itself the French State, in contrast with the previous designation,
"French Republic." Marshal Philippe Petain proclaimed the government
following the military defeat of France by Nazi Germany during World
War II and the vote by the National Assembly on July 10, 1940.

Vichy France had legal authority in both the northern zone of France,
which was occupied by the German Wehrmacht, and the unoccupied southern
"free zone", where the regime’s administrative center of Vichy
was located. The southern zone remained under Vichy control until
the Allies landed in French North Africa in November 1942. Recent
research by the historian Simon Kitson has shown that, in spite of
extensive state collaboration, Vichy led an ultimately unsuccessful
campaign to preserve the sovereignty of this southern zone by arresting
German spies.

Petain and the Vichy regime willfully collaborated with the German
occupation to a high degree. The French police and the state Milice
(militia) organized raids to capture Jews and others considered
"undesirables" by the Germans in both the northern and southern zones.

The legitimacy of Vichy France and Petain’s leadership was challenged
by General Charles de Gaulle, who claimed to instead represent the
legitimacy and continuity of the French government.