France warned over 'genocide' law
By Henry Mark,WNS Paris Correspondent
PARIS - A top EU official has urged France not to push ahead with a bill which he says could sour relations between the EU and aspiring member Turkey. French MPs are due to discuss the bill - which would make it a crime to deny that Turkey perpetrated a genocide against Armenians - on Thursday.
Turkey's foreign minister threatened economic sanctions against France if the bill succeeds. EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said the bill was "counterproductive". Mr Rehn warned that the adoption of the draft law would have very severe consequences for discussion of the Armenian question, saying "instead of opening, it will lock the debate in Turkey". He said nothing was achieved by an ultimatum, and called instead for an open dialogue in Turkey itself, and between Turkey and neighbouring Armenia. The two countries have a common border, but no diplomatic relations.
Armenians say the Ottoman Turks killed as many as 1.5 million Armenians in a planned genocide in 1915, during World War I. The Turkish government strongly denies the allegations of genocide, saying many Armenians and Turks died in a conflict raging at that time.
posted by wnsworld @ 2:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home