Ateshian: French Resolution Freezes Turkish Armenian Relations

27/12/2011

The acting Patriarch of Turkish Armenians Aram Ateshian has said that involvement of other thoughts would freeze Turkish-Armenian relations.

Commenting on a resolution criminalizing the denial of Armenian allegations on 1915 incidents which was adopted at French Parliament, Ateshian said that other thoughts should not be involved in this matter, otherwise the relations between Turkey and Armenia would freeze and could not reach a conclusion.

We prefer to solve our problems in our own country and by our own state, added Ateshian.

He noted that the involvement of other countries in this issue had certain aims.

The resolution envisages “one-year prison term and 45,000 Euro fine for those who deny genocide recognized by French laws.” French Parliament had recognized so-called Armenian genocide in 1915 on January 29, 2001.

The draft criminalizing the rejection of Armenian allegations had first been approved in 2006, but it could not become a law as French President Nicolas Sarkozy prevented its presentation to Senate.

Now, the senate’s approval is necessary to make the resolution a law.

Turkey strongly opposes the issue of the incidents of 1915 being used as a tool in French politics. Many believe that French President Sarkozy supports the Armenian resolution in order to garner support from France’s Armenian population that number around 500,000.

France will hold the first round of next year’s presidential election on April 22 and the second round run-off on May 6. Sarkozy is running for a second term.

If the resolution is not adopted at the senate till February 22, 2012 when the parliament and senate will recess for presidential elections, it will be invalid.

AA

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