Kurdish party didn’t join Turkish initiatives against Genocide bill – party head

PanARMENIAN.Net - A group of Armenian and Turkish journalists met with the deputy head of the parliamentary group of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).

Hasip Kaplan noted that human rights protection of national minorities in Turkey has always been on party’s agenda.

He noted with regret that BDP resolved not to nominate any Armenian candidates for the recent parliamentary race, stating that the problem will be solved at the upcoming elections.

Dwelling n the French bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, and Turkey’s initiatives against its adoption, he said BDP refused to join the parties having affixed their signatures to the relevant statement

“I refused to sign the document as it distorted historical facts. Without our signature it couldn’t convey the standpoint of the whole parliament,” Aze.az.quoted Kaplan as saying.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide. The bill envisaged imposing a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Later, the French Constitutional Council ruled that a bill adopted by the French Senate making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide was anti-constitutional.

In a statement the Council said the bill adopted by parliament on January 23 represented an “unconstitutional breach of the practice of freedom of expression and communication.”

Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara halted political and military cooperation with France and was threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took effect.

Immediately after French Constitutional Council ruling, the then President Nicolas Sarkozy instructed the government to submit a new draft law punishing the denial of the Armenian Genocide.

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Kurdish party didn’t join Turkish initiatives against Genocide bill – party head Kurdish party didn’t join Turkish initiatives against Genocide bill – party head

Group of Armenian and Turkish journalists met with deputy head of parliamentary group of Peace and Democracy Party.

A group of Armenian and Turkish journalists met with the deputy head of the parliamentary group of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).

Hasip Kaplan noted that human rights protection of national minorities in Turkey has always been on party’s agenda.

He noted with regret that BDP resolved not to nominate any Armenian candidates for the recent parliamentary race, stating that the problem will be solved at the upcoming elections.

Dwelling n the French bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, and Turkey’s initiatives against its adoption, he said BDP refused to join the parties having affixed their signatures to the relevant statement

“I refused to sign the document as it distorted historical facts. Without our signature it couldn’t convey the standpoint of the whole parliament,” Aze.az.quoted Kaplan as saying.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide. The bill envisaged imposing a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Later, the French Constitutional Council ruled that a bill adopted by the French Senate making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide was anti-constitutional.

In a statement the Council said the bill adopted by parliament on January 23 represented an “unconstitutional breach of the practice of freedom of expression and communication.”

Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara halted political and military cooperation with France and was threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took effect.

Immediately after French Constitutional Council ruling, the then President Nicolas Sarkozy instructed the government to submit a new draft law punishing the denial of the Armenian Genocide.