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Latest update: 04/01/2012
- cyber crime - France - Turkey
French senate to vote on Armenian genocide law
France's Senate will vote later in January on a controversial bill to outlaw denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Turkey. The proposed law, which sparked fury in Turkey, was passed by the Lower National Assembly in December.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - France's upper house of parliament will vote this month on a bill to outlaw denial of the Armenian genocide, a government official told AFP, despite a furious diplomatic spat with Turkey.
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The French lower house approved the law last month, threatening anyone who denies that the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide with jail, drawing a threat of sanctions from Turkey.
Ankara froze political and military ties with France when the bill was passed by the National Assembly, and has threatened further measures if it continues through the Senate or is approved by President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In 1915 and 1916, during World War I many Armenians died in Ottoman Turkey. Armenia says 1.5 million were killed in a genocide. Turkey says around 500,000 died in fighting after Armenians sided with Russian invaders.
France recognised the killings as a genocide in 2001, but the new bill would punish anyone who denies this with a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros.
Modern Turkey is still very sensitive about the issue, and has accused France of attacking freedom of expression and free historical enquiry.
France is home to an estimated 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent, and Sarkozy's UMP party has been accused of backing the law in order to pander to a key electoral demographic group ahead of presidential and legislative elections.
It is backed by a cross-party majority of lawmakers but has not won universal support in the government, where some ministers fear it will hurt diplomatic and trade ties with a NATO ally and major economic partner.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has said publicly that the bill is "badly timed" and has been reported as describing it privately as "stupid".
Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Paris, but officials say he may return shortly in order to lobby against the bill.
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Comments (7)
there are any france here ?
that will write any review ? because they do not know anything about this :)
funny little sarkozy
if what you said was true, sarkozy would have seen the other side of the events in 1915 remembering that the conflicts and killings were mutual -to be able to get their votes. Because it is the ONLY way for him to win the elections :) France had already accepted the "genocide" in 2001. now he goes one step further and wants to punish the denial.what is this law for then ... sarkozy *crewed up the struggles of millions to establish democracy, freedom of speech and the values came with french revolution for his own personal interest. the interests of the politician could be more important than the interests -human rights frredom of speech- of its own people.
first the term genocide must be defined exactly and after the exact definition, i am afraid that the accuser and its allies turning into criminal ;)
Our Genocided voices...Must Chant
Half million Armenian French citizens...
Each lost at least 50-60 close relatives...As i lost
So each ones duty is to chant for their lost lives
Not only lives Lands ...golds ...Bank accounts ...
carpets... bookshelves... paintings ...
Think what was in their homes ...think and count...
We asking about lives
Forgetting what we lost...
They got it all
and only few ended in the desert Der-Zor
To die there from hunger or
Taken to mary beduins as a second or third wives
Stories are endless...
in Türkiye
in turkey, everyone can research all historical documents. Turkish people say that historians, professors, come and research the truths. My family was killed in Kars by Armanians. Nobody says,
what can(or not) people say in france ?,,, dont worry french people, your politics make law for you. you don't need to think any more.
who opened their archive ?
The archives of the Armenia is open. Everyone who visits the genocide museum can see all the archives. But what about Turkey ? Only people assigned by the Turkish government can work on the archives and Turkey does not allow anyone from outside even someone inside Turkey who is in favor of recognizing the genocide to look at that archives. This archives includes both the deported counts and the properties of the deported. The biggest fear in Turkey now is that, they have to pay back the properties they seized. You can only fool some brainwashed people in Turkey but nobody in Europe will believe your funny arguments.
very funny
Once i tought Europe is home of democracy and its getting better every day.
But after this law i have seen there is no difference between inquistion in middle age or this new france government...
Isn't its the same situation when galileo said "world is turning" and then inquistion forced him tı accept "world is not turning" :)
I am not sure is any of you know that turkey has already opened their archives about armenian issue,but armenians rejected it because they already know they have nothing to prove.
Lets just think there is an unsolved problem between these countries, how could a third country be side with one of these countries? i can easly understand if they try to force these countries to solve their problems with their historians and with joint commision. But there are not even a single true point of what FRANCE did.
I hope you will understand everything i am trying to tell,
Best Regards to all,
Turkishmen
armenian issue
it's about time not only for france, but for the rest of the world to recognize the armenian genocide. french people are not stupid to accuse turkey of genocide without actual proof. if turkey had taken this issue seriously years ago, it would not be in this situation today, nor there would be the karabakh war. And when it comes for armenian votes for presidatial elections, get real, there are only half a million armenians in france, while millions and millions of muslims either from turkey or northern africa, so which population has more leverage on voting numbers?!?
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