Guest Posted January 18, 2001 Report Share Posted January 18, 2001 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF FRANCE ADOPTED THE ARMENIAN RESOLUTION18.01.2001 17:15 18.01.2001, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. The National Assembly of France today adopted unanimously the Armenian Genocide bill, Mediamax was informed in the Armenian National Committee of France. The Upper House of the French Parliament - the Senate, passed the Armenian Resolution on November 2000. It is expected that after the National Assembly of France approves the Resolution, it will be submitted to the French President Jacques Chirac for the signature. The National Assembly of France already approved the Armenian Resolution on May 29, 1998, but due to the pressure of the executive power it was not included in the agenda of the Senate. --0-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2001 Report Share Posted January 18, 2001 Armenia Hails French Genocide Vote Armenia welcomed on Thursday the decision by the lower house of the French parliament to recognize as "genocide" the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 86 years ago. "This move once upholds the historic truth and creates prerequisites for correctly assessing and overcoming the heavy legacy of the past," a spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL. Yerevan had reacted positively to similar bills approved by the French upper house and some other European parliaments late last year, brushing aside Turkey's warnings about further deterioration of the already tense Turkish-Armenian relations. Armenian officials say a full normalization of ties is impossible without the two neighboring countries addressing the tragic events of 1915. The country's current leadership insists that its decision in 1998 to lobby on the international stage for recognition of the genocide will eventually lead Ankara to change its tough line towards Armenia. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian claimed last week that the Turkish Foreign Ministry's reported intention to start "diplomatic contacts" with Armenia is a vindication of that policy. Turkish officials have made it clear, however, that the establishment of diplomatic relations is still not on their agenda. (Hrach Melkumian) Furious Turkey recalls envoy over French genocide vote ANKARA, Jan 18 (AFP) - Turkey recalled its ambassador to France for consultations Thursday, reacting bitterly to a French parliamentary vote that described massacres of Armenians that took place in the early years of the 20th century as genocide. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit warned France of a "serious and lasting" blow to bilateral ties, and threatened retaliatory measures after the vote, which took place in Paris early on Thursday. "The French National Assembly has taken a very unjustified decision against Turkey. It is not possible for us to accept this," Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit told reporters here. "The necessary reaction will be shown. Naturally, our deep-rooted political and economic ties with France will suffer," he added. "The bill, which has greatly disappointed our nation, will cause serious and lasting harm to Turco-French relations and could lead to a serious crisis in our ties," the Turkish government said in a statement. It also said the move will have a negative impact on efforts for peace and stability in the region, where France is seeking to broker a settlement with Turkey's assistance to the Nagorno-Artsax conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "France will hold the responsibility for that," it said. The controversial bill, which has been disavowed by the French government, was passed unanimously by the about 50 deputies attending the assembly's morning session to the applause of Armenians and their supporters gathered in the public gallery. The bill states that "France publicly recognises the Armenian genocide of 1915." Its adoption marks the end of a difficult two-year passage through parliament. But Ecevit remained hopeful that the resolution, which should now automatically become law, could still be squashed by the French Constitutional Council. "I hope a way to resolve this problem can be found in the Constitutional Council, taking into account this crisis and the heavy damage it could have on Turco-French relations," the prime minister said. "If this does not happen we will take all necessary measures," he added, refusing to elaborate on possible moves against France. But asked whether French firms could be excluded from lucrative Turkish tenders, Ecevit said "anything could be affected" by the crisis. Turkey believes the genocide bill is a politically-motivated move to please France's influential Armenian community of around 400,000 people ahead of municipal elections in March and presidential and parliamentary polls next year. Government spokesman Kazim Rustu Yucelen said Ankara will discuss other possible sanctions against France when ambassador Sonmez Koksal returns. "The summoning of the ambassador itself is a sanction," Yucelen said. Another reaction came from Turkish bussiness circles, which believed that the French move could not be allowed to go unretaliated. The head of the Ankara trade chamber, Sinan Aygun, called for a boycott of French goods, while the head of the Economic Development Foundation, Meral Eris, said the bill will damage bilateral economic ties. "We should not expect an improvement of economic ties with a country which is doing so much injustice to Turkey," she said. France is among Turkey's main economic partners, with bilateral trade standing at more than four billion dollars in 1999. Armenians maintain that 1.5 million people died in massacres and mass deportations between 1915 and 1917, while Turkey says some 300,000 Armenians and thousands of Turks were killed in what was internal fighting in the dissolution years of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey refuses to establish diplomatic ties with its eastern neighbor Armenia until Yerevan ends its international campaign for the recognition of genocide claims and resolves the Nagorno-Artsax conflict with Azerbaijan, a close Turkish ally. Turkish Fury at French Genocide Vote Turkey has recalled its ambassador to France for consultations following a vote by the French National Assembly to recognise the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide. "The bill, which has greatly disappointed our nation, will cause serious and lasting harm to Turco-French relations and could lead to a serious crisis in our ties," said State Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen. He told a news conference the French parliament had "made a mistake in the face of history" in passing the bill, promoted by the Armenian diaspora. He said economic ties with France would be damaged, and that the bill would also have consequences for regional peace - a reference to Turkey's neighbour Armenia. Applause Armenia's border with Turkey remains closed as a result of its unresolved conflict with Turkey's ally, Azerbaijan, over the territory of Nagorny Artsax. France provides one of the three co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which leads international attempts to resolve the conflict. There was applause from the public gallery of the National Assembly when the 50 or so French deputies attending the morning session unanimously approved the controversial bill. Successive speakers in the debate had stressed that the purpose of the law - which states baldly that France publicly recognises the Armenian genocide of 1915 - was not to pass judgement or to antagonise modern-day Turkey. French parliament backs 'genocide' bill The French parliament has passed a bill recognising as genocide the killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The vote went ahead despite a warning from Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that relations with France were on the verge of a serious crisis over the issue. In one last effort to sway French political opinion, Mr Ecevit summoned the French ambassador on Wednesday, warning "the deep and longstanding relationship between Turkey and France, to which we attribute great importance, will suffer great and durable harm from the adoption of this bill". But the bill - which does not explicitly blame the Turks for the massacres - was adopted in a unanimous vote by the French Assembly. A similar piece of legislation was withdrawn from the US House of Representatives last year after Turkey said diplomatic and commercial ties with the United States would be badly damaged. EU candidacy The French Assembly has previously passed similar resolutions, but this one is seen as being more solemn and having greater implications - coming as Turkey applies for membership of the European Union. "The action of the French parliament will not make easier the attempt by Turkey to become a full member of the EU," Dominic Moisi Deputy Director of the French Institute for International Relations told BBC News Online. Several hundred thousand Armenians live in France and Mr Moisi says the Armenian community could make a marginal difference in upcoming municipal elections there, perhaps prompting the resolution. He also said that the vote comes at a time of stocktaking in France. Similar acts of remembrance have taken place for the Jews killed in the Holocaust and for Algerians who died in the war of independence. Conflicting view There is no more sensitive issue in Turkey than what really happened to the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire nearly 90 years ago. Armenians say 1.5 million people died in massacres and mass deportations in the last days of the Ottoman empire. But Turkey says about 300,000 Armenians were killed in what it says was a revolt against the authorities, and that people died on both sides. The Turkish Government says it wants to leave the issue to the historians, although Turkey has been wary of giving many researchers unimpeded access to the Ottoman archives. But Turkey's Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan said on Wednesday that "this headache will not go away unless Turkey and Armenia enters a direct dialogue on the allegations [of genocide]." Turkish trade chamber calls for boycott of French goods ANKARA, Jan 18 (AFP) - The head of the Ankara trade chamber called Thursday for a boycott of French goods to retaliate against the French parliament's adoption of a bill recognizing as genocide the killing of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. "Turkey should show a very serious reaction... the most efficient measure will be an embargo on French goods," Sinan Aygun said in a statement carried by Anatolia news agency. "The (French) parliament, which is entitled to pass laws, has judged history and used a friendly country such as Turkey as election material," he added. Turks believe the resolution is a politically motivated move to please France's influential Armenian diaspora ahead of municipal elections in March and presidential and parliamentary polls next year. Other business people sounded more cautious, but agreed that the genocide bill will damage bilateral economic ties. "We should not expect an improvement of economic ties with a country which is doing so much injustice to Turkey," said Meral Eris, the head of the Economic Development Foundation, which promotes relations between Turkey and the European Union. She added that Turkish business people would re-evaluate ties with French partners, Anatolia reported. The Turkish co-chairman of the Turco-French business council, Aldo Kaslowski, for his part, denounced suggestions for immediate moves of retaliation in the economic field. "We should not act hastily. It is easy to spoil relations, but rebuilding them is difficult," he was quoted as saying by Anatolia. The Turkish government warned France of a "serious and lasting" blow to bilateral ties and recalled its ambassador following passage of the bill. Asked whether Ankara would activate further sanctions against France, government spokesman Kazim Rustu Yucelen said the issue would be discussed when the ambassador returns. France is among Turkey's main economic partners with bilateral trade standing at more than four billion dollars in 1999. Turkey threatened to exclude French companies from lucrative defense tenders in 1998 when the issue of the recognition of the Armenian genocide was first brought to the agenda of the French parliament. Yerevan maintains that 1.5 million Armenians died in massacres and mass deportations between 1915 and 1917, while Turkey says some 300,000 Armenians and thousands of Turks were killed in what was internal fighting in the dissolution years of the Ottoman Empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2001 Report Share Posted January 18, 2001 YES, YES, YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2001 Report Share Posted January 19, 2001 Turkish fury at French genocide vote http://www.asbarez.com/images/0118a.jpg Turkey has recalled its ambassador to France for consultations following a vote by the French National Assembly to recognise the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide. "The bill, which has greatly disappointed our nation, will cause serious and lasting harm to Turco-French relations and could lead to a serious crisis in our ties," said State Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen. He told a news conference the French parliament had "made a mistake in the face of history" in passing the bill, promoted by the Armenian diaspora. He said economic ties with France would be damaged, and that the bill would also have consequences for regional peace - a reference to Turkey's neighbour Armenia. Applause Armenia's border with Turkey remains closed as a result of its unresolved conflict with Turkey's ally, Azerbaijan, over the territory of Nagorny Artsax. France provides one of the three co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which leads international attempts to resolve the conflict. There was applause from the public gallery of the National Assembly when the 50 or so French deputies attending the morning session unanimously approved the controversial bill. Successive speakers in the debate had stressed that the purpose of the law - which states baldly that France publicly recognises the Armenian genocide of 1915 - was not to pass judgement or to antagonise modern-day Turkey. The vote went ahead despite advance warnings from Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that relations with France were on the verge of a serious crisis over the issue. In one last effort to sway French political opinion, Mr Ecevit summoned the French ambassador on Wednesday, to warn of the possible damage to relations. A similar piece of legislation was withdrawn from the US House of Representatives last year after Turkey said diplomatic and commercial ties with the United States would be badly damaged. EU candidacy The French Assembly has previously passed similar resolutions, but this one is seen as having greater implications, coming as Turkey applies for membership of the European Union. Dominic Moisi, Deputy Director of the French Institute for International Relations, told BBC News Online that forthcoming municipal elections in France could have prompted the resolution, as the several hundred thousand Armenians living in France could make a difference to the result. He also said that the vote came at a time of stocktaking in France. Similar acts of remembrance have taken place for the Jews killed in the Holocaust and for Algerians who died in the war of independence. Conflicting view Armenians say 1.5 million people died in massacres and mass deportations in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. But Turkey says about 300,000 Armenians were killed in what it says was a revolt against the authorities, and that people died on both sides. The Turkish Government says it wants to leave the issue to the historians, although Turkey has been wary of giving many researchers unimpeded access to the Ottoman archives. But Turkey's Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan said on Wednesday that "this headache will not go away unless Turkey and Armenia enters a direct dialogue on the allegations." [This message has been edited by MosJan (edited January 18, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2001 Report Share Posted January 19, 2001 France Recognizes Genocidehttp://www.asbarez.com/images/0118b.jpgThe French Parliament unanimously adopted a bill this morning (January 18) acusing Turks of genocide against Armenians. Support for the bill cut across political party lines. Several deputies put it in the context of a "duty to remember," an idea that in recent years has prompted France to admit its wartime collaboration with the Nazis and apologise to Jews. Patrick Devedjian, a deputy of Armenian descent who is also spokesman for Chirac's RPR party, said recognizing that genocide had taken place was necessary to stop such crimes recurring. "It is not a matter for historians. It is a matter for one's conscience and dignity," he said. Communist Roger Mei said "France owes it to our compatriots of Armenian origin" to acknowledge that what happened 85 years ago constituted genocide. French Government's Position French President Jacques Chirac, a conservative, and Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin have distanced themselves from the parliamentary measure and sought to limit the potential damage to relations with Turkey. "The vote that you are going to produce today is a judgment on a painful past, not on the present or the future," Jean-Jack Queyranne, the minister responsible for relations with parliament, told deputies during Thursday's session. "It cannot be an act of accusation. In the name of the government, I reaffirm that our friendship with the Armenian and the Turkish peoples runs deep," Queyranne said. Reaction In Turkey Ankara recalled its ambassador to France for consultations shortly after the measure sailed through the National Assembly and warned of damage to commercial and diplomatic ties between the two NATO allies. Separately, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem summoned France's Ambassador to Ankara, Bernard Garcia, to his ministry to convey Turkey's anger through diplomatic channels. Citing Cem's remarks made to the French ambassador, ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz told Reuters that Turkey regretted that the French government appeared to have made no serious efforts to prevent the ratification of the bill during the parliamentary debate. ``From now on, we want the French government to act with responsibility and use all the means at its hand in the face of this crisis,'' Dirioz added as part of his minister's remarks. "This development could create a serious crisis in French and Turkish relations," Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit declared in Ankara. "So-called genocide claims should be left to the objective assessments of historians. Evaluating and using a historical event for daily politics would be a great mistake,'' Ecevit said. State Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen told a news conference the French National Assembly had "made a mistake in the face of history" in unanimously passing the bill, promoted by the Armenian diaspora. "The vote will cause great and lasting harm to relations between Turkey and France...It opens a road to a serious crisis in our relations." He said the bill would damage economic ties between the two countries and affect regional peace - a clear reference to landlocked Armenia, which borders Turkey. Turkey's Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan said Wednesday January 17 that "this headache will not go away unless Turkey and Armenia enters a direct dialogue on the allegations." Mutafyan was returning home after attending New Year's celebrations with the Armenian community on Crete. Answering reporters' questions at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Mutafyan said, "The two sides should start a direct dialogue, otherwise third parties will abuse this matter for their own interests." Mutafyan said that, as a member of the clergy, he would work to contribute to starting such a dialogue. Turkey fiercely denies accusations of a genocide of Armenians during the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire 85 years ago, arguing that any killings were a part of general partisan fighting in which both sides suffered. The day before the bill was adopted, Turkish riot police stopped several dozen demonstrators from the opposition True Path Party (DYP) from marching to the French consulate in Istanbul on the grounds that they did not have permission to stage the protest.Three people were detained after managing to lay a black wreath in front of the French mission, as protestors argued with the police. The head of the DYP's Istanbul branch said their protests would continue. Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said he had expected the French Parliament to adopt a stance which would have paved the way for the victory of common sense instead of prejudice, friendship instead of animosity and cooperation instead of tension. Azerbaijan Backs Turkey The United Azerbaijan Association staged a picket outside the French embassy in Baku in protest of the bill. The demonstrators read out a resolution and handed it to an embassy representative. The document said the French parliament was provoking tension in the entire Turkic world. The resolution's authors demanded an end to France's biased policy against Turkey Armenia's Response Armenia hailed the French parliament's unanimous adoption of the bill. "This once more strengthens historical justice, creating preconditions for the proper interpretation and overcoming of the heavy legacy of the past, "Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Astgik Makaryan said. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation of Armenia noted that the recognition of the bill proves the Armenian genocide is not an outdated issue. "This is one of the first steps towards justice and truth, which resulted from the persistent political, social and organizational fight led by Armenians on European and international political stages. We should realize we can achieve more results", said ARF member Gegham Manukian. Filaret Berikian of the National Democratic Union's administration, welcomed similar decisions made by other European countries, and attached great importance to the step taken by the French, since France in one of Europe's most influential and powerful countries. [This message has been edited by MosJan (edited January 18, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2001 Report Share Posted January 19, 2001 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF FRANCE WILL CONSIDER TODAY THE ARMENIAN RESOLUTION18.01.2001 12:24 http://news.panarmenian.net/images/events/event_18-01-01_eng.gif 18.01.2001, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. The National Assembly of France will consider today the Armenian Genocide bill. The Upper House of the French Parliament - the Senate, passed the Armenian Resolution on November 2000. It is expected that after the National Assembly of France approves the Resolution, it will be submitted to the French President Jacques Chirac for the signature. The National Assembly of France already approved the Armenian Resolution on May 29, 1998, but due to the pressure of the executive power it was not included in the agenda of the Senate. --0-- >>>>>>>>> . Turkish President Sends Letter To France YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Turkish President Ahmed Sezer sent a letter to President of France Jacque Shirac demanding France abandon the adoption of the Armenian genocide bill in the parliament. According to the Turkish Jumhuriet newspaper, such letters were sent to other high ranking French officials by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, parliament speaker and the head of foreign affairs committee. The letters all warn that any decision detriment to Turkey will harm relations between France and Turkey. A discussion on the issue is scheduled for January 18. According to the Turkish Milliet newspaper, the First Secretary of France's Embassy in Turkey Francois Nekodin paid a visit to the Turkish parliament and said that France's parliament is most likely to adopt the formula on the Armenian genocide. The French diplomat added, "Elections of local governing bodies will be held in France in March, and the Armenian lobby in France is very strong." [This message has been edited by MosJan (edited January 18, 2001).] [This message has been edited by MosJan (edited January 18, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2001 Report Share Posted January 21, 2001 Turkish Exasperation Over French "Genocide" Bill http://asbarez.com/images/0119a.jpg ANKARA (Reuters)—Turkey denounced France over a parliamentary bill accusing Turks of genocide against Armenians in 1915, but a certain weariness was visible behind Friday's screaming banner headlines. "For long years, Turkey thought it enough to proclaim there was no genocide, but has taken no concrete steps to show that genocide did not happen," wrote Mine Kirikkanat, a columnist in the newspaper Radikal. How far can anyone trust the sincerity of a state that has not yet classified its Ottoman archives, has not translated them into modern Turkish?" she added. "I want to know the truth." Newspaper headlines told another story, wearily echoing similar declarations published after first the US Congress and then the European Parliament voted to accuse Turks of massacring Armenians as the Ottoman Empire unraveled 85 years ago. "Let's drown (Jacques) Chirac under messages" screamed Milliyet, publishing the French president's telephone and fax number and e-mail address. The nationalist Ortadogu labeled France "The Cannibals of Algeria" "France, the killer of thousands of Algerians, accuses Turkey of genocide." http://asbarez.com/images/0119b.jpg "France Plays With Fire," proclaimed the business newspaper Dunya. "Ankara And Turkish Business World Preparing For Retaliatory Action." Some called for commercial sanctions against France, a member of the European Union which Turkey seeks to join. rance is Turkey's fifth biggest trading partner. Turkey's imports from France reached $2.8 billion in the first 10 months of last year, up 6.5 percent over the same period in 1999. Exports to France amounted to $1.3 billion. rench firms have a close interest in lucrative defense deals and energy projects, and Turkey's politically influential military is shopping for battle tanks and strike helicopters. "Turkey must control its reaction," Sabah columnist Gungor Mengi said. "We cannot stand against the whole world. Ignoring the failure of our policy in this matter may make the hawks of Ankara happy but will not make for a happy future." After France's parliament, responding to some 400,000 Armenian voters, passed the bill on Thursday, Turkey condemned it as "a mistake in the face of history" and announced it was recalling its ambassador for consultations. The genocide issue has been hanging over Turkey for decades. But Ankara has done little to argue its case. Former foreign minister Mumtaz Soysal said Turkey had repeatedly failed to anticipate challenges. "There is a Turkish saying," he commented. "A Turk always comes to his senses when it's too late." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.