October 11, 2006 - 14:09 AMT
Euronews: Women and Children Killed in 1915 Don't Look Like Guerillas
The Turkish parliament may pass a law on the genocide perpetrated by the French in Algeria if the French parliament adopts the bill penalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated, reports Euronews.

Earlier Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul warned French businessmen that in case of passing the bill the economic relations between the two states will be blocked. Ankara also called on the European Commission to exert pressure on Paris and dissuade France from adopting the bill. EU Commissioner for Enlargement also attended to the problem on Tuesday and called on the French lawmakers to weigh the possible consequences of the motion.

The discussion of the bill is due in the French parliament October 12. If adopted it will provide for a 45 000 euros fine up to a year in prison for denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Turkey warns that if this happens Turkish courts will set a 3-year imprisonment for a phrase "France did not perpetrate a genocide in Algeria." Despite the existing evidence Turkey insists that the number of the killed Armenians was exaggerated and the majority of those killed were guerillas.

Euronews showed the photos of killed women and children saying these hardly could be guerillas.

Meanwhile, according to Zaman daily, chairman of the Algerian parliamentary committee on foreign relations thanked the Turkish parliament for the bill on "the genocide the French committed against Algerians."