Algerian PM urges Turkey to stop trying to make political capitalJanuary 9, 2012 - 11:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia urged Turkey to stop trying to make political capital out of France's killing of thousands of Algerians during the colonial period, AFP reports. He made the call as Turkey continued to assail Paris ahead of a French Senate vote on a bill that would make it a crime for anyone to deny the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has accused France of hypocrisy for its own hand in killings committed in its former colony, Algeria, in 1945 and during the north African nation's struggle for independence between 1954 and 1962. "An estimated 15 per cent of the Algerian population was massacred by the French from 1945 onwards," Erdogan has said. "This is a genocide." Ouyahia said every country has the right to defend its interests, but "nobody has the right to make the blood of Algerians their business." French forces cracked down on a protest in the east Algerian city of Setif on May 8, 1945, to call for an end to French colonial rule, leaving 45,000 people dead, according to Algerian historians. Western researchers put the death toll at between 8,000 and 18,000. Ouyahia noted that Turkey had been a member of NATO during the war in Algeria and as such had provided material support to France. "We say to our (Turkish) friends: Stop making capital out of Algeria's colonization," Ouyahia said at a press conference. The French lower house approved the genocide bill December 22 and the Senate is expected to vote on it by the end of January. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |