French court fines Turk over alleged genocide
A French court has imposed a fine on a former
Turkish hopeful for local elections who refused to bow to pressure
over recognizing the alleged World War I-era genocide of Armenians.
Sirma Oran, who filed a lawsuit citing discrimination, was
unsuccessful in court and is now required to pay 1,500 euros.
Oran of the Green Party was asked by the Villeurbaunne Mayor Jean-Paul Bret whether or not she admits the so-called genocide. Further, she had to withdraw her candidacy for the city council and subsequently sued Bret, saying that asking the question discriminately was wrong. However, the court in the French town of Lyon rejected her plea.
The judge recalled that Oran had joined a public protest staged in Lyon to condemn the presence of a monument to the "genocide" victims. He claimed that France has recognized the "genocide" and that the city council head had the right to ask election hopefuls political questions.
Oran is the first Turk fined in France for rejecting the Armenian genocide allegations. Previously, Turkey’s Consul–General in Paris Aydın Sezgin faced similar legal action, but the case was closed due to his being a diplomat.
The candidate was the daughter of Professor Baskın Oran, who himself was a candidate for parliament in Turkey's July 22 elections, Today's Zaman newspaper reported.
Bret, a politician from the French Socialist Party, which is cooperating with the Greens in the local elections slated for March, is reportedly known to have close ties with the Armenian diaspora in France.
Armenians claim Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people in the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. Armenians residing in the Anatolia region started riots in 1890, which intensified during the war, and fought against the Ottoman army in support of Russia. In an effort to end stand-off, the Ottoman government decided in 1915 to resettle the Armenians to other parts of the country. Armenians claim their forefathers were subjected to "genocide" in the process. Ankara dismisses the claims and has offered to research the events through a joint commission of historians. The proposal was reflected in the protocols on mending ties signed by the two governments on October 10, 2009.
Relations between Turkey and France were strained after the French parliament approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the alleged genocide in 2006. The bill, backed by the Socialist Party, drew ire from Ankara, which said relations had sustained a heavy blow with the law.
France's 400,000-strong Armenian community constitutes a formidable voter bloc. Former French leaders said that Turkey must accept the alleged genocide to become a member of the EU, while the country's current president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is against Turkish entry under any condition.*
Oran of the Green Party was asked by the Villeurbaunne Mayor Jean-Paul Bret whether or not she admits the so-called genocide. Further, she had to withdraw her candidacy for the city council and subsequently sued Bret, saying that asking the question discriminately was wrong. However, the court in the French town of Lyon rejected her plea.
The judge recalled that Oran had joined a public protest staged in Lyon to condemn the presence of a monument to the "genocide" victims. He claimed that France has recognized the "genocide" and that the city council head had the right to ask election hopefuls political questions.
Oran is the first Turk fined in France for rejecting the Armenian genocide allegations. Previously, Turkey’s Consul–General in Paris Aydın Sezgin faced similar legal action, but the case was closed due to his being a diplomat.
The candidate was the daughter of Professor Baskın Oran, who himself was a candidate for parliament in Turkey's July 22 elections, Today's Zaman newspaper reported.
Bret, a politician from the French Socialist Party, which is cooperating with the Greens in the local elections slated for March, is reportedly known to have close ties with the Armenian diaspora in France.
Armenians claim Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people in the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. Armenians residing in the Anatolia region started riots in 1890, which intensified during the war, and fought against the Ottoman army in support of Russia. In an effort to end stand-off, the Ottoman government decided in 1915 to resettle the Armenians to other parts of the country. Armenians claim their forefathers were subjected to "genocide" in the process. Ankara dismisses the claims and has offered to research the events through a joint commission of historians. The proposal was reflected in the protocols on mending ties signed by the two governments on October 10, 2009.
Relations between Turkey and France were strained after the French parliament approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the alleged genocide in 2006. The bill, backed by the Socialist Party, drew ire from Ankara, which said relations had sustained a heavy blow with the law.
France's 400,000-strong Armenian community constitutes a formidable voter bloc. Former French leaders said that Turkey must accept the alleged genocide to become a member of the EU, while the country's current president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is against Turkish entry under any condition.*
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