Armenian News... A Topalian... Following the German Development...

Following the German development, what a contrast between 

the realistic French leadership and the pathetic response of

Her Majesty's Government in the House of Lords (along the lines 

of "we are not competent to have an opinion on genocide despite

others who somehow can go beyond the boundaries we set 

ourselves") 

See also the angry reaction from an activist in Canada. What do 

you expect with such an unreasonable policy? 

Deutsche Welle, Germany
July 1 2016
French parliament votes to criminalize denial of Armenian genocide
France's lower house of parliament has unanimously voted to
criminalize the denial of all crimes against humanity. The move comes
shortly after Germany recognized the killing by Ottoman forces in
Armenia as genocide.

The amendment, which was an extension of the current French holocaust
denial law, was passed on the first reading on Friday.

The amendment covered all events which the French law defined as
genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or slavery. The law set
out penalties of up to one year in prison and a 45,000-euro ($50,000)
fine for those who contradicted it.

"This text will punish the challenge or the trivialization of all
crimes against humanity and war crimes," Ericka Bereigts, junior
minister in charge of equality, told AFP news agency. MP Henri
Jibrayel, whose ancestors survived the tragedy 100 years ago, said
Friday was "one of the greatest days" of his political career.

The document still needs to be passed by France's Senate before 

it is implemented. Its backers hoped to see it enter into force by the

end of 2016.

Nearly 1.5 million people were slaughtered by Ottoman armies between
1915 and 1917. Turkey says the killings were a collective tragedy in
which both Turks and Armenians die, but Armenians have campaigned long
and hard for the mass murders to be categorized as a crime against
humanity.

Relations between Turkey and Berlin soured last month when Germany
voted to recognize the killings as genocide - a term Ankara rejects.


Turkey: Politics and Government
Foreign and Commonwealth Office written question 

– answered on 30th June 2016 .
Lord Patten Conservative

To ask Her Majesty ’s Government, further to the Written Answer by 

Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 6 June (HL320), what assessment 

they have made of the effects on Turkey’s candidate status for 

accession to the EU of the recent resolution of the German Parliament 

declaring the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 and 1916 

an act of genocide . 

    • Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 30 June 2016, cW)

Baroness Anelay of St Johns Minister of State, Deputy Speaker (Lords)

The Government recognises the horrific suffering inflicted on the 

Armenian people and other groups living in the Ottoman Empire in 

the early 20th Century. The Government’s policy is that the recognition

of genocide is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments 

or non-judicial bodies. The Government believes that the priority today 

should be to promote reconciliation between the peoples and 

Governments of Turkey and Armenia.


jerry tutunjian
Posted on 1 Jul 2016 

Pleeeze Baroness, why do you bother to repeat the boiler plate 

misinformation spouted by Ankara? Anybody who is serious about 

learning what Turkey did to Armenians knows that the word for the 

horrendous crime is genocide, as verified by, among others, the 

International Association of Genocide Scholars. You and your 

government don't want to acknowledge the truth because Britain 

has been the "big brother" savior of Turkey for at least 150 years. 

Were it not for Britain, Turkey would have vanished early in the 

19th century when General Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt was about the 

conquer the Ottoman Empire. Britain and Austria stopped the 

Egyptian army. Since then, you have rescued the Turkish genociders 

countless times. Armenians and those who believe in historic truth 

understand that you consider it in your interest support Turkey 

despite its ongoing oppression of the Kurds, its conspiracy to destroy 

Syria, its blackmail to flood Europe with Muslim immigrants, many of 

them extremists. Guess what: Brexit is the result of your government's 

immoral policies. 

P.S. I hope you don't say that you fought the Turks in WWI. 

For months before the start of the war you bribed Turkey to stay out 

of the war, but the Young Turks thought Germany would win and so 

they joined Wilhelm II. Thus you were forced to fight the Turks. They 

betrayed you although you had protected them for more than a century. 

And now I see Erdogan has begun waltzing with Putin. You deserve 

such a turncoat friend.