Turkish PM says his country won’t yield to pressure

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan noted money and electoral votes as a driving force for French President Nicolas Sarkozy to set forth the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

“Turkey will not yield to pressure and will keep pursuing independent policy,” Azerbaijani media outlets quoted Turkish PM as saying.

After being approved by the National Assembly and Senate, the Armenian Genocide law was put on hold after politicians opposed to the legislation demanded that its constitutionality be examined.

In view of French President’s demand the constitutional court will be urged to decide on the draft law within 8 days. Sarkozy voiced discontent with some Senators’ decision to appeal to the Constitutional Council with a request to reconsider the Genocide bill.

President of France also noted that in case of abolishment of the draft law, another appeal will be issued against criminalization of Holocaust denial.

By signing the draft law before the constitutional court passes the decision, French President will indirectly prevent it from being debated in the court.

Two separate groups of French politicians who oppose the legislation - from both the Senate and the lower house - said they had formally requested the constitutional council examine the law. The groups said they each had gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required to ask the council to test the law's constitutionality. The council is obliged to deliver its judgment within a month, but this can be reduced to eight days if the government deems the matter urgent.

Turkey reacted furiously last week when the Senate approved the law, which threatens with jail anyone in France who denies the 1915 Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turk forces.