Liberals and Democrats criticise French Armenian genocide law / 25-01-2012

The adoption yesterday by the French senate of a law which makes the denial of genocide a punishable offence, is strongly criticised by ALDE Group.

Alexander Graf LAMBSDORFF (FDP, Germany), who shadows EU -Turkey affairs for the group said: "Yesterday's decision by the French Senate is an additional burden on already strained Turkish-European relations. Apart from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified exceptions, assertions of historical facts should be left to historians and should certainly not be made a crime. The vote in the Senate is all the more incomprehensible because the alleged Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915 is an event in which France was not involved in any way. "

Lambsdorff calls on Turkey nevertheless to show restraint: "There is a risk that Turkey might over-react but for a country in the middle of accession negotiations with the EU it is important to react with moderation and avoid adding to anti-Turkish sentiment. The lines must be kept open between Ankara and Paris as this would inevitably impact on wider Turkish-European relations."

Andrew Duff (UK, Lib Dem) ALDE member of EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee added: "The French parliament is wrong to play the role of a court. The definition of genocide is properly a judicial matter and should not be reduced to the banality of party politics." 

(Portal Europe)