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| French in Armenia 'genocide' row | French in Armenia 'genocide' row |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The French parliament has adopted a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks, infuriating Turkey. | The French parliament has adopted a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks, infuriating Turkey. |
| The bill, which provides for a year in jail and a heavy fine, still needs approval from the Senate and president. | The bill, which provides for a year in jail and a heavy fine, still needs approval from the Senate and president. |
| Turkey called the decision a "serious blow" to relations with France. It has already threatened economic sanctions. | Turkey called the decision a "serious blow" to relations with France. It has already threatened economic sanctions. |
| Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people systematically in 1915 - a claim strongly denied by Turkey. | Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people systematically in 1915 - a claim strongly denied by Turkey. |
| The European Commission has said that the bill, if passed into law, will "prohibit dialogue which is necessary for reconciliation" between Turkey and Armenia on the issue. | The European Commission has said that the bill, if passed into law, will "prohibit dialogue which is necessary for reconciliation" between Turkey and Armenia on the issue. |
| Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill. | Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill. |
| The opposition against Turkey in the EU has begun to present an ugly face Cengiz CandarTurkish commentator Turkish press divided Send us your comments | The opposition against Turkey in the EU has begun to present an ugly face Cengiz CandarTurkish commentator Turkish press divided Send us your comments |
| "Turkish-French relations, which have been meticulously developed over the centuries, took a severe blow today through the irresponsible initiatives of some short-sighted French politicians, based on unfounded allegations," the Turkish foreign ministry said. | "Turkish-French relations, which have been meticulously developed over the centuries, took a severe blow today through the irresponsible initiatives of some short-sighted French politicians, based on unfounded allegations," the Turkish foreign ministry said. |
| Nobel prize | |
| The vote, in the lower house of the French parliament on Thursday morning, was sponsored by the opposition Socialist party. | The vote, in the lower house of the French parliament on Thursday morning, was sponsored by the opposition Socialist party. |
| Turkish writer wins Nobel prize | |
| The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) did not back the law, but gave its deputies a free vote. | The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) did not back the law, but gave its deputies a free vote. |
| It passed by 106 votes to 19, despite the French government signalling its opposition. | It passed by 106 votes to 19, despite the French government signalling its opposition. |
| Ethnic Armenians in Paris celebrated the result. | Ethnic Armenians in Paris celebrated the result. |
| "The memory of the victims is finally totally respected," said Alexis Govciyan. | "The memory of the victims is finally totally respected," said Alexis Govciyan. |
| But the French foreign ministry described the bill as "unnecessary and untimely". | But the French foreign ministry described the bill as "unnecessary and untimely". |
| Under the bill, anyone denying genocide could be punished with a one-year prison term and 45,000-euro (£30,000) fine - the same punishment that is imposed for denying the Nazi Holocaust. | Under the bill, anyone denying genocide could be punished with a one-year prison term and 45,000-euro (£30,000) fine - the same punishment that is imposed for denying the Nazi Holocaust. |
| The vote came as controversial Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk won the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. | |
| He has faced prosecution in Turkey for talking about the murder of hundreds of thousands of Armenians during World War I and thousands of Kurds in subsequent years. | |
| The charges have since been dropped. | |
| EU membership bid | EU membership bid |
| Debate on the Armenian issue has been stifled in Turkey. | Debate on the Armenian issue has been stifled in Turkey. |
| Arguments have raged for decades about the Armenian deaths | |
| The official Turkish position states that many Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks died in fighting during World War I - but that there was no genocide. | The official Turkish position states that many Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks died in fighting during World War I - but that there was no genocide. |
| The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says many Turks are angry at what they see as double standards in the EU, where opinions are sharply divided about whether Turkey should be allowed to join. | The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says many Turks are angry at what they see as double standards in the EU, where opinions are sharply divided about whether Turkey should be allowed to join. |
| Turkey's chief negotiator in EU membership talks, Ali Babacan, said: "This is violating one of the core principles of the European Union, which is freedom of expression." | Turkey's chief negotiator in EU membership talks, Ali Babacan, said: "This is violating one of the core principles of the European Union, which is freedom of expression." |
| "Leave history to historians," he added. | "Leave history to historians," he added. |
| France's President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have both said Turkey will have to recognise the Armenian deaths as genocide before it joins the EU - though this is not the official EU position. | France's President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have both said Turkey will have to recognise the Armenian deaths as genocide before it joins the EU - though this is not the official EU position. |
| Wednesday saw Turkish politicians consider a law that would make it a crime to deny that French killings in Algeria in 1945 were genocide. | Wednesday saw Turkish politicians consider a law that would make it a crime to deny that French killings in Algeria in 1945 were genocide. |
| But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected, saying: "You cannot clean dirt with dirt; you can only clean dirt with clean water." | But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected, saying: "You cannot clean dirt with dirt; you can only clean dirt with clean water." |
| France has about 500,000 people of Armenian descent - thought to be the largest Armenian immigrant community in Western Europe. | France has about 500,000 people of Armenian descent - thought to be the largest Armenian immigrant community in Western Europe. |
| There are accusations in Turkey that the Armenian diaspora and opponents of Turkey's EU membership bid are using this issue to prevent Turkey joining the 25-member bloc. | There are accusations in Turkey that the Armenian diaspora and opponents of Turkey's EU membership bid are using this issue to prevent Turkey joining the 25-member bloc. |