France Backs ‘Genocide’

French Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier, attended the meeting of the Council of European Union (EU) Common Affairs in Brussels yesterday where he said France "will ask Turkey to recognize the Armenian tragedy experienced in the past."

Barnier remarked that it could not be defined as a condition to begin negotiations, but that it would be brought to the agenda during the negotiations.

France’s main opposition party, the Socialist Party, released a declaration yesterday announcing that the "Recognition of soldiers withdrawing from Cyprus, Armenian genocide, as well as progress in human rights should be imposed on Turkey" during the negotiations.

Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, of the Dutch EU Term Presidency, says France did not raise any condition like the recognition of Armenian genocide and that this element was not among the Copenhagen Criteria or pre-conditions.

Minister Barnier told the press during the meeting of Ministers that France supports the start of negotiations with Turkey, but warned that negotiations could be stopped at any moment and that there was no guarantee that the negotiations would end in full membership.

Barnier said the French public would have the last say on the issue in a referendum. The Minister also said that although asking Turkey to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a pre-condition was not legally acceptable, it is very difficult to see Turkey’s point either morally or politically.

Barnier said negotiations may begin mid-2005 at the earliest and that the date will be determined by EU leaders at the summit. He added there will be no compromising on the documented results.