French Parliament Passes Bill Criminalizing Armenian Genocide Denial
By Weekly Staff // Posted on December 22, 2011 in News // 104 Comments // 
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PARIS, France (A.W.)—On Dec. 22, the French Parliament approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide and rendering it punishable with a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000).
- The French Parliament approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide.
“I will vote thinking of Hrant Dink,” said one Member of Parliament as he concluded his remarks.
“We are not punishing any country, but we are fighting against genocide denial in our country,” said another.
“We are taking part in the mass destruction of Armenians when we allow its denial… We are voting in the name of Armenians who sought refuge here. How can we look in the eyes of our fellow citizens of Armenian heritage, while we know that there are those among us who deny the suffering of their grandparents?” said yet another Member of Parliament.
“Racism is not an opinion, it’s a crime,” said another.
The MPs who spoke highlighted the stories of the survivors who arrived in France after the genocide, and talked about the significance of honoring the memory of the victims, the survivors, and their descendants, as well as safeguarding historical truth.
Several proposed amendments that aimed at diluting the bill were voted down.
More than 2,000 Turks demonstrated against the bill outside the French Parliament building.
The French Senate is expected to vote on the bill in March 2012.
Turkey recalls ambassador, announces sanctions on France
Official Ankara announced it has recalled its ambassador to France. According to Turkish State Television (TRT), Ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu will promptly return to Ankara.
Ankara also announced sanctions on France. “As of now, we are canceling bilateral level political, economic, and military activities,” said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Zaman. “We are suspending all kinds of political consultations with France” and “bilateral military cooperation, joint maneuvers are canceled as of now.”
A special delegation of Turkish officials had arrived in Paris on Dec. 19 to prevent the bill from passing.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had likened the move as one from the Middle Ages. “If this proposal is legislated, France will pioneer the return of the Middle Ages mindset to Europe,” Anatolia News Agency quoted him as saying. The law would “create a new dogma about understanding history, to forbid alternative thoughts. This is the mentality of the Middle Ages. The adoption of this mindset in France is the greatest danger to Europe.”
Addressing his government officials, Davutoglu said it would be “out of the question to leave unanswered an attempt by any country leader, government, or parliament to dishonor our country and nation.”
“There will be irreparable consequences in all bilateral relations,” the undersecretary of the Turkish ambassador to Paris, Engin Solakoglu, told AFP. He said the proposed law was a “hostile act” and that “all cooperation with the French government, all joint projects, will be frozen.”
In contrast, Turkey’s Human Rights Association’s Committee Against Racism and Discrimination had issued a press release and had initiated a signature campaign calling on Turkey to unite against genocide denial, not against the French Parliament.
In 2001, France adopted a bill officially recognizing the 1915 events as genocide.
ANCA welcomes vote
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian offered the following comment on the vote:
“Today’s overwhelming vote by the French National Assembly reinforces the growing international consensus—and the mounting pressure on Turkey—for a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.”
“Closer to home, France’s stand underscores the need for our own American president and Congress to finally reject Ankara’s gag rule on the proper condemnation and commemoration of this still unpunished crime against humanity. We mark this occasion by urging President Obama to honor his pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide and the House leadership to bring the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.304, for a full floor vote.”
Hurray for the French!!! I take back everything I said about them!!!!
HURRAH, FRANCE! THANK YOU TO FRENCH PEOPLE!
Thank you on behalf of MY GRANDPARENTS….too.
Congratulations, compatriots- the irreversible process has alraedy started!
Hurray for you then!!! What else would you do for France ?!?
Shame on you France for succumbing to the 500,000 armenian votes in the upcoming election. HISTORY SHOULD BE DECIDED BY HISTORIANS, NOT BY SOME LOW LIFE POLITICIANS IN A 3RD COUNTRY WHO CANNOT OTHERWISE GET A JOB.
very good first step, but French Senate has to approve the bill also for it to become Law.
last time the Assembly passed it, and the Senate let it die.
Nevertheless, there appears to be more of a momentum behind it now. Let us hope nobody throws a monkey wrench into the gears.
Why, Dan, then of course you object to it when any country’s politicians call the ‘tragedy’ that befell the Jews a ‘Holocaust’, right? Politicians shouldn’t talk about history, ever.
Newsflash, buddy: there is a historical consensus among the vast majority of world historians and the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Get this through your caps-lock filled head as well: when parliaments speak about the Armenian Genocide, they are not ‘weighing in’ on ‘history’–they are opposing a crime against humanity, which it is their duty to do.
The Shame is on you “Dan Ashbya typical Turk just like your government denying the truth and history! Should be decided by the historians! Haha that’s why the Turkish gov spends millions of dollars to erase the historical facts! You scumbags will do anything to deny the truth! Look how all these years to deny the truth your government tries to use scare tactics! Shame and blood is on you and others who deny the truth you low life! You guys denied it for 97 years now but soon you will have nothing else to force to be denied. Just like Egypt just like Iraq just like Libya sooner or later the real truth will come out and you guys can’t deny it any longer! Cowards!
Good for France calling Turkey’s bluff and not giving in to threats and thuggish intimidation. The Turkish stance is hypocritical, criticizing France all the while having Article 301 on its books (what the hell is insulting “Turkishness” anyway?). Turkey calls for an open debate (further insult to victims) but refuses to ratify the peace roadmap with Armenia. Turkey refuses to exchange diplomats with Armenia when even India and Pakistan conduct official diplomacy. Turkey criticizes French colonialism while celebrating its own brutal history. Their position is becoming exposed and by their protests, threats, etc Turkey is rapidly and unwittingly becoming the biggest proponent for genocide recognition. Now that they are trying to bring a religious slant into this is only going to make further recognition more feasible. Keep it up.
THANK YOU TO FRENCH PEOPLE!
Thank you to the French Parliament for standing up for the truth.You are a liar Dan Ashby. You can’t handle the truth! You can hide from th truth for so long. You should be shamed of your self and your Turkish ancestors who committed the awful crimes against humanity through out history. Turks today are still continuing miss treatment of others based on religion differences.
This is what courage looks like. Remember, France is also a NATO ally. And France had a bigger role in the Libya intervention than US did. And yet you don’t hear any French people saying “Turkey is a key NATO ally, blah blah blah.” Shame on the Cowardly–Cowardly–Americans in politics.
Harray FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE TRHE BEST AND MOST FAIR !!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!
My mother had seen the genocide.I am very greatful to France and its peopel for standing up to justice.I urge the American goverment to stand up and speak out the truth and accept the genocide.One day they might need the help of the Armenian nation,and we will remember,the good and the bad.How can you deney a genocide?To France i have great respect and gratitude for standing up and accepting the truth.The Armenian nation will never forget their kindness.Also they were the very first country to arrive in Arnenia to help durring the earth quake.God bless France.VIVE LA FRANCE.
Well Dan Ashby, the thing is hundreds of historians, journalists, researchers, lawyers, human rights activists, etc have all branded the genocide as just that; a genocide. But a historian (or any other profession) can never “decide” on a historic event. Thousands of historians could stand on the streets and shout “it was a genocide” and it still wouldn’t “decide” anything. The authority to make decisions is in the hands of the politicians, that’s the way it goes.
Vive la France!! To my cousins in Altforville I love you!!!
Deep down we all know that something terrible must have happened in 1915 as after centuries of living together and sharing streets, markets, schools and weddings our old neighbours left their ancestoral homes and became immigrants in far away places. Those who stayed in Istanbul were much loved and respected but life for them could not have been easy. We do want to know what really happened and not from individual survivor accounts or gore-filled news paper stories. I want to know how it came to be 1.5 million and why as I can not understand how it could have been more acceptable if it was 500,000 or 300,000 or even 10,000. I also want to know the role played by the other ethnic groups in the region and see who really benefited from the demise of the Armenian community. I fear that the bill passed by The French Parliment will be counter productive as it will only agitate the defensive and chauvinist traits of my society. I was lucky to grow up in an environment were Turks, Jews and Armenian worked and lived together without fear or anger but in the shadow of unspoken truths. For the truth to be spoken we need more dialogue and interaction not more dogma and hostility.
Adali,
Your interest in the truth is commendable.
Maybe you can start reading the works of Turkish scholars who affirm that colossal crimes and Genocide were committed. Umit Ungor has written two recent works: one on the destruction of Christians in Diyarbekir, and a recent book on the confisation of Armenian wealth. See also Taner Akcam’s works, including his recent book with Dadrian on the Turkish tribunals. Try the Radikal interview of Halil Berktay, no great friend of the Armenians, in 2000 or 2001, in which he says he cried in an American University library when he saw the photos and materials proving the Genocide, all of which were denied to him as a college student in Turkey. See also Selim Deringil, Fatma Gocek., books published by Regip Zarakolu (now in prison), Ahmet Ihnsel, Fuat Dundar.
You don’t want to see the gore-filled parts. No sane person does. But the cruelty of how Armenians were killed by state actors is a vital part of your education. It belies the claim everywhere made to this day by the TR that the state ordered its soldiers and cadres to protect Armenians, but that things just got out of hand through some vague never-described process. It shows instead that the state licensed murder, and murder in the most humiliating and painful ways.
Read any of the hundreds of missionary and diplomatic accounts and survivor stories. You can start with the memoirs of Bishop Bilakian, who in one chilling section descrbes a Swiss woman driven mad by a field of bayonetted Armenian women and children, so mad she picks up and treasures the corpse of a dead baby.
These were the stories that many of us did not hear until after our silent and joyless grandparents died. We wanted to know why they never celebrated a birthday, and could not joke or laugh. Why it was hard for them to hug their own family members.
You imply that the Armenians of Istanbul did not suffer and do not suffer, or suffer little. They live in fear, and are dwindling. They can never tell any Turk the truth, even after they leave, for fear the police will knock on their family doors.
Well Done France!
Now it is Canada’s Turn!
Adali-
If you want to know more, make a point of reading Turkish historian Taner Akcam’s “Shameful Act”. He explains it all in detail – how and why.
Please note.Above GAYZAG is not me,THOUGH IN MY OFFICAL DOCUMENTS erroneously so written.My name to be correctly pronounced in English, would spell G U Y T Z A G .
Again due to officials mal interpretation it was spelt with an ¨A´.However…
People like Dan Ashby or whoever are pro Denialism,I have this to say.It is not too far that official Turkey will send it delegation to come and kneel or pray at Tsitsernagapert.I have opined in this respect before…
But they will be very much UNWILLING FOR COMPENSATIONS!!!
Even after U.S. presses more re return of all Armenian churches,monasteries,schools, hospitals.These, ANYHOW WERE BUILT BY ARMENIANS with their own funds…
So the Turkish people are not REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THAT. THESE GO BACK TO LAWFULL OWNERS.They may have to worryu about COMPENSATION for BLOOD MONEY though.tHIS HAS PRECEDENT AND MUST ALSO BE ENACTED(in time,yavash yavash) by and by. First repairs of Akhtamoaar, St. Giragos, then above RETURN OF PROPERTIES.
Again they should not worry too much,there are ways to make payments…
The OIL transit Duties (some 1.6 BILLION dollars per annum) and that is an amount that was in media some 5/7 yrs ago…it may have increased.
part of that should be directed to Armenians.Indeed,once the Govt.s that patronize the OIL companies. This as a most convenient way.As otherwise expect that Turkey(like Germany) sweat and pay from their own coffers(always near empty) or from their own pockets the population…an impossibility.they rather give their lives than pay FINES, PARA, CASH.One must study their character a bit better to understand why I think so. None the less IT WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US ,FOR THAT TRANSIT DUTY IS PERPETUAL, OR PERMANENT AS LONG AS T HE OIL FLOWS THROUGH..
Adali,
Here are some thoughts and suggestions in no particular order. I am assuming you live in Turkey, and as such some of these sources may not be easily available to you (which in itself says something about the matter) but nevertheless, here it is.
Books by Taner Akcam, Vahakn Dadrian and Richard Hovanessian are quite complete and will give you a good introduction.
Some good websites are http://www.armenian-genocide.org/, http://www.zoryaninstitute.org/
There are many others, but these would make a good introduction.
Unfortunately, you cannot ignore the gore and the brutality of the event, because that is the nature of the event. It was most violent so much so that we the survivors suffer the effects 100 years later.
As to who benefited from the destruction of the Armenians, it is very clear it was the CUP (Ittihatci’s) and their cohorts. There is evidence of this. No, my friend Armenians in the Republican era were not much loved at all. They lived (and still live) in great fear. They are constantly denigrated and hated. Many have emigrated since 1923. The forceful transfer of capital continued in the Republican era. I would urge you to look into events such as the Wealth Tax (Varlik vergisi), the events of September 6-7 (1955) and the issue of Armenian Foundations (Vakiflar) that continues to this day.
Lastly, Turkey cannot stop the passage of laws in other countries so that their own chauvisits will not react. They will anyways. Truth is out there and is spoken by a lot of courageous Turks who do it risking their lives. For this we are eternally grateful and pray for their well being and safety.
Best regards.
The time is long overdue for US to learn an important lesson. If can’t lead, at least follow. Yes… agree… the time is not now, the time was yesterday. Thank you France.
Adali,
Courageous and eloquent words.
Unfortunately for fair-minded people like you, your government has appropriated and perverted the idea of dialogue to mean, “Okay, you guys suffered. We also suffered. Let’s therefore call it even.”
That’s why we reflexively reject it when Turks use that term.
Glad that the French Lower House passed this, but please realize that this does not even begin to make up for the French betrayals after WW 1.
Armenian volunteers, for example, from the US and elsewhere (gamavors) fought in the French army, but they and all our people were betrayed by France in the final analysis.
Alleluyaa,, es un gran regalo de Dios por el año nuevo y Navidad, estoy muy muy feliz.
Gracias gobierno de Francia y gracias a todo el esfuerzo armenio y mundial para llegar poco a poco a la verdad y la justicia..Feliz fiestas a todo el mundo..un abrazo. Maria Perouze
I envy you French People, your President and Lawmakers have balls, unlike our president and lawmakers in the USA.
Adali,
I assume you’re from Istanbul. Do you still live there? Did you post your comment from Istanbul? What’s the take on the French bill on the street?
Regarding the stories and newspaper accounts. The survivor stories are important because they are part of the whole. They are also our connection and understanding of what happened. They are reports from ground-zero an can fill in details which diplomatic accounts may not be able to describe fully. They cannot be ignored and need to be included along with any and other sources. The Armenians of Turkey also carry these stories. Some like in the diaspora may not know them because the survivors just could not bring themselves to tell their kids.
The stories also establish why much of the diaspora exists to begin with.
As for the newspaper stories, they may not be usable as primary sources, but they show that the atrocities were known by the outside world. It also establishes a contrast between what was known, and how what was forgotten by the world in the decades after.
I am concerned about the nationalists in the country right now. The manner in which the Turkish government is reacting to this could be feeding the ultra-nationalists into a frenzy.
“I was lucky to grow up in an environment were Turks, Jews and Armenian worked and lived together without fear or anger but in the shadow of unspoken truths.”
I think this captures the contradictory, conflicting and very bipolar character of Turkey today.
” For the truth to be spoken we need more dialogue and interaction not more dogma and hostility.”
Dialog with the Turkish government is next to impossible. Governments tend to trail changes in society. I don’t trust Erdogan, Gul, Davutoglu nor the rest of the gang to have a fair and open dialogue with Armenia and Armenians in general. They completely ignored the diaspora in the protocols and tried to drive a wedge between the two Armenias. These guys are intent on playing games.
Why this overexcitement? The bill still needs to pass the Senate and be enacted into law by the President.
yea this is fucked up man. if turkey accepts the truth then Germany haves to say they had a role helping ANOTHER genocide…….and i dont think they ever want to admit they had any part in it.
History has decided. Historian will write what they want, the way they want. but reality is what happened to my grandparents by the Turks!
I wonder why France does not pass a bill saying” denying any genocide is unlawful” including their own!!!! France should face their own history before making any comments or laws about other countries’.
Mr. Burak Bekdil once again writes something brilliant:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-new-turkish-jurisprudence-on-armenian-genocide.aspx?pageID=449&nID=9797&NewsCatID=398
the president of U S A who was elected in the year 2000 said ,i coat ,if elected president,i would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the tragic suffering of the armenian people,signed 2 19 2000,thank you mr ex president for fulling the armenian people,a honest president kips his promise thank you mr president of FRANCE for your honesty and to the honest people of FRANCE,
VIVE LA FRANCE LE PRESIDENT ET LE PEUPLE FRANCAIS, QUE DIEU VOUS BENISSE
Vive le peuple français. Merci pour la dignité et la justice.
1. Alas, France is officially not the country it once as was anymore; you say “there is no Armenian Genocide” in France and you go to jail. RIP Voltaire. As a Turkish citizen, I say “what happened in 1915 is a genocide” and I do not go to jail, even though I face a lot of tension. These are facts.
2. Turks and Armenians take French politics too serious regarding a matter which has nothing to do with France. What happened in 1915 is an issue that only Armenians and the successors of Ottomans solve. Sarkozy is just another opportunist who can do anything for political benefit.
3. Sooner or later, Turkey will have to explain what happened to the Ottoman Armenians which constituted more than 10% of the population just a over a century ago. Now they are 0.1%. It is what it is; it is a genocide according to the definition by UN.
4. Using (maybe abusing is a better verb) 1915 for political aims is immoral.
5. In terms of realpolitik, denials in Turkey has a stronger hand right now, because France is not only punishing an “idea”, but also being hypocritical about the term “genocide”. Thus, what France did is not serving Armenians’ aims or rights. Sad but true.
6. The majority in Turkey deny the genocide because they sincerely believe that there was no genocide, because of the brain-washing that took place since 1915. However, with the invent of new and modern communication tools, it’s harder than ever to hide the truth than ever, so more and more Turks learn the facts everyday. The government will face a stronger and bigger Turkish community who doesn’t back the Ittihat ve Terakki Party. Turks are facing that even Ataturk himself was a racist who did not want any Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds etc. in Turkey. The vast majority still loves Ataturk, because they think he was a war-hero who wanted nothing but peace. That was not the fact indeed.
Sorry about the terrible grammar; I should have checked before sending it
M E R C Y FRANCE !!!!!! YOU WILL REMAIN IN OUR MEMORY FOREVER.
Merci beaucoup à toute la France pour défendre les droits humains!!!!viva la france!
Ladies and Gentlemen: again, good news, but too early in the game to pop the Champagne. Great symbolic value, but this Bill has no teeth, yet.
French Senate must also pass it for it to become Law.
Let’s wait for it. Cross you fingers.
good comments to Adali - Ani, Alex, Random.
Thank you for the reply and I will certainly make use of the resources and continue with my efforts to better understand all aspects of this event. It saddens me deeply to think that every Armenian I should meet shall be burdened with either fear or anger and in some cases vengeful hatred while most of us Turks feel no responsibility for 1915 and find it natural to deny any accountability. Given that 1915 had victims and those victims’ pain and anger is still live in the words of people like you who take time and effort to contribute on these pages, the least I can do is read a few books.
Random, I wouldn’t worry too much about the nationalists or what you will see in the papers over the next few days. Local press is already pointing out that only 10pct of the French parliamentarians bothered to turn up and out of those only 38 of them bothered to vote for the bill. We ll probably get a storm in a tea cup and relations will be lukewarm till Sarkozy falls at the next elections(or AKP) but business will go on, people will travel, young people will get married. Those who had no intention to co-exist need no coaxing or goading on such matters, ultra-nationalists are morons whatever their nationality. I particularly find it entertaining when they engage in patriotic displays and burn items that they already paid for just to show their displeasure with the offending country. The fact is you can not legislate against stupidity but may be trying to legislate in support of a “truth” is not always the smart thing do. Telling a group of people who are day by day approaching and processing the darkest episodes of their history and learning to live with those truths that their journey is void and the facts have already been decided for them is arguably not the best way to approach the matter. I ll go and read the sources suggested by the other contributers, what I might find there worries me more than what the french did tdy.
Merci aux Deputes francais et a Madame Valerie Boyer pour avoir vote cette Loi.
I suppose this will bring an end to the endless (and somewhat justified) criticism of the article 301 of the Turkish penal code. Even that does not specifically outlaw a particular idea or point of view as the French have done here. Facts remain. I have to say the spectacle is rather enjoyable.
All you concerned, please connect with LE MONDE in Paris and express yourselves at :
Le Figaro a mis en ligne sur son site internet un sondage demandant aux internautes: ” Faut-il pénaliser la négation du génocide arménien?”
VOUS AUSSI, VOTEZ OUI en cliquant sur ce lien!
http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2011/12/21/01016-20111221QCMWWW00320-faut-il-penaliser-la-negation-du-genocide-armenien.php
Le Monde a mis en ligne un sondage similaire: “Vous-même, êtes-vous favorable ou pas favorable à l’adoption par le Parlement d’une loi condamnant la négation du génocide arménien ?”
VOUS AUSSI, VOTEZ FAVORABLEen cliquant sur ce lien!
http://www.lemonde.fr/a-la-une/sondage/2011/12/20/vous-meme-etes-vous-favorable-ou-pas-favorable-a-l-adoption-par-le-parlement-d-une-loi-condamnant-la-negation-du-genocide-armenien_1620917_3208.html
Dave, I am so glad that you hove pointed out about the French’s fraud against Armenian nation. I am working on this issue for sometime now. I cannot find a copy of “French Armenian Agreement 1916.” Can anyone assist me to find this document?
To those who suggest that passing of this resolution will restrict people, including the historians from freely discussing the Armenian genocide in France, please allow me to remind them that Turkey has a similar law on their books where the historians cannot freely conclude that there was an Armenian Genocide.
With the current laws in Turkey, discussing the Armenian Genocide there will result in the same conclusion as in Iran several years ago when Mahmoud Ahmadijinad organized a symposium discussing the Jewish Holocaust. If you recall the “expert” historians in Iran concluded that the Jewish holocaust did not happen. But of course we know better.
This vote was the result of Turkey “jerking around” the Europeans and Americans with the delay in signing the Protocols. The West had a lot of domestic vested interest in getting the Protools signed. The Turks will now pay a heavy price and all of you will who were badmouthing the Armenian government and hanging the Presidents effigy will now understand that the RA played the Protocol issue perfectly. Checkmate!
Adali
These people are trouble makers. Give me your email address I will give you may books which you can read. Taner akcam and Dadrian are Armenian paid so called scholars
45 French members of parliament out of 570? And you armenians call this a victory.!! Pathetic. The French think armenians are causing a lot of headache for France. Go read the polls.
I think it is a shame for French politicians to use such historical case for their benefits and it is also a shame for the Armenians who consider this bill as a victory. First of all, the number of participiants in voting process shows the credibility of that bill. Even if it reflects what the majority of politicians thinks, then this French goverment is making a historical mistake just to increase their number of seats in the parliament.
Another remark is that “being used” by politicians do not make the Armenians’ hands stronger but mak them funny. The Armenian authority in Turkey is aware of these facts and that’s why they expressed their doubts about the case.
We all should be realistic and as always said, let the history to historians. It is important to see the water in a glass half fulled rather than half empty. The unity between Ottoman Armenians and Ottoman Turks should be raised rather than the war period. What happened happened and hundreds of thousand of people died from both sides. If Armenian community in the US wants the Armenian citizens not to go over economical crisis and starve, then they should quit their unreasonable efforts to fight with Turkey over 50 years.