FRENCH PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON ARMENIAN BILL THIS MORNING
The French Parliament is set to vote this morning on a highly controversial bill that criminalizes denial of an alleged genocide of Armenians. Deputies are first expected to hold debates, possibly followed by a preliminary vote on whether to vote on the bill. Both Turkey and the European Union have warned France that passage of such legislation would dangerously erode freedom of speech in one of the EU's founding countries. Parliamentarians are divided, but are still expected to back the proposed legislation, which was submitted by the opposition Socialist Party and proposes up to a year in prison and 45,000 euros in fines for denying claims that Armenians were subject to genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, the Turkish public is closely watching developments, and if the bill is passed France stands to lose Turkey, an important economic partner, and to be left out of major projects ranging from the defense sector to energy. In addition, a group of deputies from Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) consisting of Haluk Koc, Onur Oymen, Sukru Elekdag and Gulsun Bilgehan yesterday traveled to Paris to follow the French Parliament's session today. /All Papers/
GUL: "PASSING THE BILL WOULD DO HARM TO FRANCE"
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that if the French Parliament passes the Armenian bill, France would lose not only Turkey but also much else besides. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Bahamian Foreign Minister Frederick Audley, Gul said that Ankara had done its best to warn France of the negative consequences of its passing the bill. Stressing that everybody from politicians to businessmen from large sectors of society had tired to prevent this misguided move, Gul said he hoped that France would not harm itself for the sake of domestic politics. /Turkiye/
ANKARA URGES FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIANS TO ACT WITH COMMON SENSE
Foreign Minister Spokesman Namik Tan said yesterday that Ankara is expecting French lawmakers to act with common sense and reject the Armenian bill to be voted on today in Parliament. Addressing reporters at a weekly press conference, Tan said, "Such a thing should not even be conceivable in a country where civilization and free thought have flourished." He added that Turkey hoped French lawmakers would deal with the matter with common sense. Commenting on a French historian's request for Turkish citizenship in light of recent developments, Tan said a decision on the matter belonged to the historian himself. /Turkiye/
HISTORY SHOWS ARMENIAN GROUPS TOOK ORDERS FROM PARIS DURING WWI
Decision-makers of the Armenian Hincak group which attacked Turks during World War I got orders from Paris, according to evidence presented in Volumes 3 and 4 of "Armenian Activities with Archive Documents, 1914-1918," published by the General Staff's ATASE and Inspection Chairmanship. The books, which show photos of Turks murdered by Armenian terrorist groups on July 15, 1915 in Diyarbakir's Lice district and murdered women and children on July 23, 1915 in Diyarbakir's Hizirilyas village, were published in Turkish and English and reproduce original documents from Ottoman times. Volume 3 argues that the decision-makers of the Hincak group took orders from there. The volume cites the statements of Artin Cihan Gulyan. /Milliyet/
US SPECIAL ENVOY RALSTON MEETS WITH BASER
Retired Gen. Joseph Ralston, US special envoy for countering the terrorist PKK, yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart retired Gen. Edip Baser in Ankara. Discussed during the meeting were ways to wage an effective fight against the PKK, expel the terrorist group from northern Iraq, and end all activities of the PKK in the region. Ralston will meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul today. The special envoys of Turkey, the US and Iraq will not hold trilateral meeting, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Namik Tan, adding, "A trilateral meeting isn't expected." /Hurriyet/
LAGENDIJK URGES FRENCH PARLIAMENT TO "GIVE UP" ARMENIAN BILL
Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of the European Union-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission, yesterday sent a letter to the French Parliament, which is set today to debate a bill to criminalize questioning Armenian "genocide" claims, urging it to "give up" this bill. In his letter, Lagendijk stated that if the French government really wants to make Turkey face up to its history, then it should forget the bill. "If the bill is passed, then discussion of the issue will be hindered," said Lagendijk. "If you want to support Turkey discussing its history, you should withdraw the bill." /Milliyet/
IRAQI PM TO ARRIVE IN ANKARA ON MONDAY
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki is due to arrive in Ankara on Monday upon the invitation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss a number of issues, including the terrorist PKK presence in northern Iraq. During their meeting, Erdogan will reiterate Ankara's determination to end the PKK presence in the region. /Aksam/
CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT TO VISIT GREECE
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit is expected to pay an official visit to Greece next month at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Panayotis Hinofotis. During his stay in the country, Buyukanit and Hinofotis are expected to discuss a number of issues, including the military aspects of confidence-boosting measures and problems of refugees in the Aegean. /Aksam/
FORMER BRITISH EU MINISTER MACSHANE: "EUROPE EXCLUDING TURKEY IS A HIGH-RISK GAME"
Europe is doing its level best to tell Turkey it is no longer wanted as part of the European Union, said Denis Macshane, former British Minister responsible for the European Union, in a guest column in Britain's The Financial Times on Tuesday. "Turkey wakes up almost every month to find a new hurdle on its path to Europe," he wrote. "It is a high-risk game with little to gain and a great deal to lose. How much longer will this secular, democratic, Muslim country look westwards to a European future, instead of turning east?" He added that Turkey's "trials of writers and journalists are an insult to any notion of democracy. . However, the enormous progress in rule of law, freedom of intellectual activity and the defense of the secular state against illiberal religious fundamentalism remains an important advance in the struggle to defend democracy." /Cumhuriyet/
IN MADRID, BABACAN COMMENTS ON RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, visiting Spain, yesterday commented on recent economic developments, including the current account deficit. Babacan said that the government was considering measures to bring down the high current account deficit and added, "The high deficit is partly due to energy prices." Babacan stated that talks over the 2007 budget were continuing and that the fiscal balance of state economic enterprises was very important so the prices of these enterprises' products could be raised if a need arises. /Sabah/