Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Turkey warns France not to back Armenian motion
by Reuters English News Service, 01/05/2001
Posted: Monday, January 15, 2001 01:53 am CST

ANKARA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A Turkish delegation will go to Paris this weekend to warn French politicians that relations could be damaged if they approve a bill recognising claims of genocide against Armenians in 1915, a delegation member said on Friday.

The French Senate passed the bill last November recognising accusations that Ottoman Turks carried out "genocide" against Armenians at the time of World War One. The National Assembly is due to consider the motion later this month.

"At the government's request and with the approval of the parliamentary speaker's office we are going to France as a five-strong delegation," said Bulent Akarcali of the Motherland party, one of the three coalition parties in the government.

"Such a resolution will not have any binding effect on Turkey but we will tell them that they shouldn't believe a handful of people from the Armenian lobby and that such an incident between two friendly and allied countries would have a grave cost," Akarcali told reporters.

"If they don't heed what we tell them, the (Turkish) parliament ... will impose sanctions," he added without specifying what measures Turkey might take.

Armenia and an Armenian diaspora accuse Turks of deliberately killing more than 1.5 million Armenians in eastern Anatolia as the Ottoman Empire disintegrated.

Turkey disputes that figure and says thousands died on both sides in partisan fighting it says was orchestrated by Russia.

The French Senate's approval of the Armenian bill fuelled tension between the EU and candidate country Turkey last year.

A similar resolution in the U.S. Congress drew Turkish warnings of commercial and diplomatic measures against Washington last autumn. The measure was eventually dropped after President Bill Clinton said U.S. interests were at stake.

Akarcali said the delegation did not intend to discuss whether or not there was a genocide since that was an issue for historians rather than politicians.

The delegation comprises members of the three coalition partners and two opposition parties.

Related Information...

Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives