Turkish Consulate in Paris faces charges

CDCA-France appealed to the Paris Court in July because the Chief Consulate denied the so-called Armenian genocide on its official internet site, Anatolia news agency said.

The CDCA said in its appeal to the court then, Turkey’s broadcasting on the internet site was a denial propaganda targeting French people. The CDCA wanted the court to charge the Turkish Consulate due to this reason and close its internet site down.

Turkish State’s lawyers are expected to ask the court to dismiss the case at the first hearing today, by saying that the Consulate had diplomatic immunity according to the Vienna Convention. The lawyers will also mention the matter of the freedom of expression as a part of their defense and argue it to have the case dismissed by the court, the agency said.

The French Parliament passed a law in early 2001 which stated; "France recognizes the Armenian genocide of 1915." Turkey sent a protest note to the French government concerning the issue after the draft law was first passed in 1998. The Turkish Parliament decided to invalidate the draft and the military projects undertaken by France were suspended.

Turkey’s reactions postponed the final adoption of the draft by the French Senate for about two and a half years. However, with the coming municipal elections in March 2001, the Senate passed it on November 2001.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected and condemned the Senate resolution. The Turkish Parliament adopted a similar resolution on January, 2001. Despite this, the draft was once again passed at the French parliament on January 18. Following its ratification by French President Jacques Chirac, it became law on January 30.

A parliamentarian from the main opposition Socialist Party has introduced a bill to the French parliament in recent months and asked for accepting the denial of so-called Armenian genocide as a crime in the French Criminal Code.