France Says Armenian Genocide is 'Fact of History'
The Armenian genocide is a "fact of history" and a proposed French law making it illegal to deny this has nothing to do with upcoming elections, France's minister for Europe said on Wednesday.
"Today all peoples must be lucid and courageous in looking at their history. It has been nearly 100 years since the Armenian genocide took place, those responsible are dead, it is simply a matter of recognizing a fact of history," European Affairs Minister Jean Leonetti told Radio Classique.
The French parliament is to debate the bill, which would see anyone in France who publicly denies the genocide facing a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000), on Thursday and is expected to approve it.
Turkey has piled pressure on France to drop the law ahead of the vote, with President Abdullah Gul and a Turkish delegation to Paris on Tuesday warning its adoption will spark a diplomatic crisis and have economic consequences.
Turkish officials have accused authorities of backing the bill to win votes with France's Armenian minority, estimated to number between 300,000 and 500,000 people, ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year.
But Leonetti noted that the opposition Socialists were planning to back the bill along with the ruling UMP party.
"If this was to win votes, I don't think the opposition would vote (for the law). But the Socialists will vote for this bill, which comes from a deputy, not from the government," he said.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed during World War I by forces belonging to Turkey's former Ottoman Empire.
Turkey rejects the term genocide and says between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, died in combat or from starvation when Armenians rose up and sided with invading Russian forces.
France recognized the killings as genocide in 2001.
over 12 years
The genocide is a fact of history. There are museums, books and pictures that show the killing. The best way for the turkish people to deal with it and show the rest of the world that they are now different is to admit it and try to help the remaining of the armenian people like Germany did with the Jews.
Denying it only proves that the non-civilized mentality still exists in the minds of the turkish.
over 12 years
To John:
Your name is something else, and you are not from Koura. Maybe Saudi Arabia or Istanbul but definetely not from Koura.... with due respect akid.
over 12 years
One day or another, Turkey will admit that it commited this awful genocide in the 1915s, They would like to join a civilized Union (EU) and they don't want to admit that they have commited a genocide. Shame on Turkey, on day or another, they will pay back.
over 12 years
@Abe: and you think people from Saudi Arabia don't acknowledge the genocide of your sect or other sects? Why this blind prejudice?
over 12 years
And what about the 500.000 Assyrians, who have been killed at the same time with the Armenian? It is fact, that about 2 million people lost their lifes. 500.000 of them where Assyrians, that should be mentioned, in my opinion.
over 12 years
@John
It seems that your knowledge of history is minimal even non existant may i say. In Algeria it was a resistance struggle from the Algerian poeple against a colonial occupation. And I dont think any french man or woman deny the atrocities perpetrated by this occupation, and i think the fact that around 2 million French of Algerian origins lives in France is proof enough. As for the Turkish genocide, it was perpetrated against unarmed, starving poeple on the run, living in mediocre conditions. Let's face it and say it as it is: a calculated premeditated holocaust for 1.5 - 2 million Armenians simply because they were "different".Read ya John, read before you start typing : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide
over 12 years
@Citizen X 100% agree
over 12 years
@Citizen X
"As for the Turkish genocide, it was perpetrated against unarmed, starving poeple on the run, living in mediocre conditions."
Really? Sounds like and eye witness account. You must be around 100 years old.
over 12 years
@ stupid name x
Read the Wikipedia article and some of the reference books defore u make stupid remarks, stupid.
over 12 years
It's funny than turkish people complain about U.S., Israel and Europe, but they had killed millons of people in a genocide and don't even want to recognize it. That's because many turkish are just idiots that believe in islam... keep believing idiots, keeep believing...
That is nice. How about the genocide you committed in Algeria and throughout the world. You only see the "good" things that came out of western colonialism. Blood thirsty hypocrites.