FRANCE / FILE: Supporters of Armenian Genocide Bill celebrate as French Parliament's lower house votes to pass it

France's lower house of parliament on Thursday (October 12) backed a bill that makes it a crime to deny claims that Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War One. French Parliament member of Armenian descent, Patrick Devedjian, said Turkey has long to go in becoming a democratic country. The French government does not support the motion, but the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) has given its lawmakers a free hand in vote which helped the law to pass. "Turkey is not a democratic country yet. They are far away. They refuse to recognise the state of Cyprus. They don't allow Cyprus boats to enter their ports. They occupy militarily a part of northern Cyprus. It's like they are asking to be allowed to enter to a club where they have already crashed the windows, and finally they treat their minorities badly, religious minorities, like Kurdish minorities, and even Muslim minorities like the 15 millions of (Allevy) who have no right in a religious place," Devedjian said. Nevzat Saygilioglu, a Turkish professor at Gazi University in Ankara, who travelled to Paris to observe the vote said that Turkey is still in a state of transition and that as any country in similar circumstances it will take time to reach a full democracy. "Turkey is a country with development. We started seeing democracy taking place. I think that time will show this reality. We are making progress in democracy," Saéygilioglu said. Turkey continues to deny the accusations of a genocide of some 1.5 million Armenians and its foreign ministry said the vote would hurt ties between the two countries. French Parliament member Roland Blum said he thought the vote should do away with what has been perceived as a double standard in recognising parts of history. "This is not possible to have two categories of genocide, Jewish genocide which has been always condemned while Armenian genocide has been condemned only in some cases. I think we must be more strict in genocide matters , there is no genocide on a variable geometry," Blum said. A group of pro-Armenian demonstrators ,who gathered near the National Assembly before start of the debate to support the approval of the law, celebrated after the positive result of the vote. "Since 90 years, we have been waiting. This is extraordinary. Finally, I can see this issue resolved before dying. It's not possible otherwise," said Suzanne Ganatchian, French woman of Armenian descent. The bill might never become law because it still needs the approval of the upper house Senate and president. The majority of French people are opposed to Turkey joining the European Union and fears over its membership drive was given as one of the reasons why France voted last year to reject the European Union constitution. France approved a bill in 2001 officially recognising the genocide. The bill, put forward by the opposition Socialist party, establishes a one year prison term and 45,000 euro ($56,570) fine for anyone denying the massacres. France is believed to be home to the largest Armenian immigrant community in western Europe, with up to half a million people of Armenian descent living there. French people of Armenian descent make up a powerful political lobby which cannot be overlooked just seven months ahead of a presidential election. French businesses fear they will suffer a fierce backlash from Turkey because the bill is approved by the lower house. Although the bill would still need to be ratified by the upper house Senate and President Jacques Chirac to become law, its approval by the lower house would send a strong signal to Ankara about French reluctance to accept Turkey as an EU equal.

ITN Source | October 13, 2006

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