PRESIDENT CHIRAC DID NOT APOLOGIZE TO TURKISH MP
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
18/10/2006
3 days ago after the French Parliament adopted a bill penalizing
denial of the Armenian Genocide and when anti-French hysteria was in
full swing in Turkey, president Jacques Chirac of France had a phone
conversation with Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey’s state-run public TV reported that the French president had
expressed regret over the passage of the bill, considered it needless
and promised to do everything to prevent the draft bill from turning
into a law. According to Turkish public TV, PM Erdogan criticized
Jacques Chirac for the latter’s statement during his Yerevan visit and
said "it’s impossible to accept your approach" meaning recognition of
the Genocide as a precondition for EU membership. The French president
displayed comprehension.
Turkish TV’s reporting was entitled "Chirac Regrets".
Yet, during the phone conversation president Chirac did not regret
neither apologized for the passage of the bill. He simply repeated
what he had said about the Genocide in Armenia.
This information comes from Turkish Milliet newspaper.
Correspondent Sabetay Varol of the paper writes in October 16 issue:
"The staff of the French president did not confirm the information
disseminated by PM Erdogan according to which president Chirac
expressed regret on the phone and promised to do everything to
block the passage of the bill by the Senate. According to Agence
France-Presse, Chirac has emphasized on the phone the need for Turkey
to restore historic memory and said that the French Parliament’s bill
is needless in this context."
Quoting AFP, Milliet points out that Chirac has repeated his statements
made in Yerevan. Associated Press confirms this information.