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Wednesday, October 11 2006 @ 04:57 AM Central Daylight Time
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Algeria welcomed a draft bill submitted to the Turkish Parliament for recognition of the French killings in Algeria as “genocide”.
Algerian Parliament Foreign Relations Commission Head Reguieg Bentabet thanked the Turkish deputies who brought the issue to the government’s agenda. Bentabet stated he discussed the issue with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Algeria in June, and voiced his full agreement for the move.
Speaking to Zaman news agency, Bentabet pointed out that France is unwilling to “recognize the genocide conducted in Algeria.” Noting that France is now attempting to evaluate Turkey’s history, Bentabet called this a “double standard.”
Asserting that they want France to recognize its mass killings as genocide, the Algerian politician said Paris is silent at the moment, but Algeria will keep insisting for recognition of the genocide.
Bentabet noted that the long-awaited friendship agreement between the two countries has yet to be signed.
French daily, La Tribune published an article on the issue and commented “The Turkish Parliament will defend Algeria’s history and benefits.”
Draft to be Discussed by Justice Commission
The Turkish Parliamentary Justice Commission will discuss the draft bill on Tuesday to adopt May 8 as a commemoration day for France’s genocide in Algeria.
In the event the bill passes, May 8 will be declared commemoration day for the Algerian genocide, and those rejecting the genocide will be sentenced to up to five years imprisonment and fined 100,000 Turkish Lira.
In the bill, the genocide against the Algerian people is defined as France’s “inhuman actions against Algerians in the cities of Setif, Guelma and Kherrata on 8 May 1945.”
Three different bills on the issue were submitted to the Parliament in May.
Commission Head Koksal Toptan said they could no longer ignore the bills that have been pending for five months after France’s recent attempts. |
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