Turkish Parliament Condemns French Genocide Bill
October 17, 2006
Turkish police guard the French consulate in Istanbul during an October 8 protest against a French 'Armenian genocide' bill (epa)
October 17, 2006 -- Turkey's parliament today backed a declaration condemning a French bill making it a crime to deny that the massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks constituted a genocide.
The statement says the approval of the draft by the lower house of the French parliament on October 12 will inflict irreparable damage on political, economic and military relations between Turkey and France.
The document, supported by all political parties, also says Armenia will pay a heavy price for using lobbies against Turkey.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told lawmakers that the bill will inflict "irreparable damage" to French-Turkish ties, if adopted.
Observers say the bill is unlikely to become law due to resistance from the French Senate and President Jacques Chirac.
(Reuters, dpa, AFP)