AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijani activists and members of Turkish Diaspora protest a French bill that would make it illegal to deny the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks

Record ID: 218139

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijani activists and members of Turkish Diaspora protest a French bill that would make it illegal to deny the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks
  • Date: 22nd January 2012
  • Summary: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (JANUARY 21, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING TOWARDS FRENCH EMBASSY BUILDING PROTESTERS CHANTING OUTSIDE EMBASSY: "WE ARE CURSING SARKOZY FOR HIS ATTEMPTS TO WIN ARMENIANS' VOTES AND HIS INSULTS DIRECTED TOWARDS ALL TURKIC PEOPLE." POSTER READING IN ENGLISH 'FRANCE STOP' PROTEST IN PROGRESS EU AND FRENCH FLAGS HANGING ON EMBASSY BALCONY
  • Embargoed: 6th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Reuters ID: LVACBYIJ5B6Z6JKDNGH0QBOBG26J
  • Story Text: Azerbaijani activists and members of the Turkish Diaspora in Azerbaijan gathered on Saturday (January 21, 2012) outside the French Embassy to protest against a decision by France's Parliament to vote on a genocide bill, that would make it illegal to deny the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.
    A group of more then one hundred protesters, carrying national flags and posters reading: "Stop France" and photos of Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan together with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, marched towards the French Embassy in central Baku to voice their protest against what they call "unfair" behaviour of France and its President Nicolas Sarkozy.
    Protesters chanted a long slogan: "We are cursing Sarkozy for his attempts to win Armenians' votes and his insults directed towards Turkic people."
    The bill, if passed, would mandate a maximum 45,000-euro fine and a year in jail for offenders will be presented to the Senate next Monday for a final vote, with the process to be completed before parliament is suspended in February ahead of presidential elections.
    Activists burned portraits of Armenian and Iranian Presidents outside the embassy building, and chanted "Azerbaijan and Turkey were united."
    Mainly Muslim and Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, a key supplier of oil and gas through Turkey to the West, is a close ally of Turkey.
    "Our protests are the second stage of Turkey's response on French Parliament's decision. If the (French) Senate passes the bill, we will take to streets for much bigger protests," Geksal Gyulbei, who presented himself as a leader of an international organisation fighting against Unfair Armenian Claims, told reporters during the protest.
    Turkey supports Azerbaijan in an unresolved conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which broke away from Azerbaijan after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union in a war which cost 30,000 lives. Armenian-backed forces control Karabakh and a swathe of Azeri territory connecting it to Armenia but Azerbaijan wants the land back.
    Lawmakers in the lower-house National Assembly voted overwhelmingly last month in favour of a draft law outlawing genocide denial, infuriating Turkey, which recalled its ambassador, who returned to Paris earlier this month.
    In a move to ease tension with Turkey the French government has stressed that the bill, had been put forward by lawmakers rather than France's ruling body.
    Successive Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of genocide is an insult to their nation. Ankara argues that there was heavy loss of life on both sides during fighting in the area during World War One.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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