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EUROPE > Hollande to visit Armenia on April 24

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President Francois Hollande. ABACA photo

President Francois Hollande. ABACA photo

French President François Hollande is planning to visit Armenia on April 24, the date Armenians commemorate the alleged Armenian genocide in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, daily Hürriyet has reported, citing sources in the Elysee.

Hollande accepted the invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in November 2012 to visit Armenia in 2013, the report said, adding that Hollande aims to issue a “strong genocide message” to the Armenian community living in France before local elections in 2014.

However, the French president will not bring forth the bill that criminalizes denial of Armenian genocide allegations to the Senate due to “technical difficulties” in the Constitution. The French Constitutional Council annulled the bill last year.

January/27/2013

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cem ozkan

1/30/2013 6:08:01 AM

To Brit in Turkey, I know the history of the ANZACs well as I have lived in Australia most of my adult life. My comment relates to the years after the Ottoman empire had collapsed and its rulers were granted free passage to the west. Historical records and footage are available in many search engines just google it. Just have a look at how many countries invade Turkey post WW1. For the Turkish nation it was the beginning of the war of independance and the birth of modern Turkey.

mara mcglothin

1/28/2013 7:28:22 PM

CEM why such a complex? We aren't talking about Turkey, we are talking about the Ottomans. I think the whole thing is stupid and we all have more pressing matters than what happened years ago, but April is coming so more articles like this will appear.

Brit in Turkey

1/28/2013 5:56:38 PM

cem and Falk: I'm under the impression that it was mainly Anzac troops that fought at Gallipoli (Çanakkale) against the Turks. Ken: I'm probably old enough, but don't remember that one. I think I got your joke though! I'm afraid Brits have a deep ingrained distrust of the French through hundreds of "love 'em, hate 'em" years.

cem ozkan

1/28/2013 6:15:23 AM

I am sick and tired of the same old propaganda by the so called friends from the west. They all have a hidden agenda and a long hated grudge against Turkey. They tried very hard by using the Armenians during war time to achieve there goals, but when it back fired on them they collectively invaded Turkey when she on its knees. Only problem was they didn't take into account who they were facing. " ATATURK " They all know who they are but for the ones that don't know FRANCE, GREECE, ITALY, ENGLAND

Falk Bernard

1/28/2013 1:49:28 AM

Maybe he could 1st visit Gallipoli. On that same day an armada of about 100,000 soldiers from France and other war enemies of the Turks were nearing Anatolian soil for an invasion. The Turks striked first and arrested the Armenian Dashnak leaders and their supporters in order to avoid another uprising behind their back (Istanbul), just like in Van was happening from 17 April 1915 on.

Zareh Sahakian

1/27/2013 11:33:51 PM

France, and for that matter England, USA, Japan etc... having committed atrocities, even genocide, in the past does not absolve Turkey in admitting the undeniable fact of the Armenian Genocide, and recognizing its decades-long denial campaigns. It's quite simple really...anything else is just noise.

sid solo

1/27/2013 10:56:16 PM

I wonder, is the French population aware of French state policies before and during WW1 in regards to the Armenian population within the Ottoman borders? Shouldn't the Armenians blame the French for encouraging to rise against the Ottoman state but then abandoning them?

jiyan kurdish

1/27/2013 8:18:56 PM

ı love all france ..they are really democrat and humanist if they haven t been in the world humanity doesnt been grow and brutality and barbarism surrender world..

Ken Alden

1/27/2013 7:31:43 PM

@Brit in Turkey, I don't know whether you're olde enough to remeber the Old Rita - Glen Ford movie, wherein shee portrayed a NighClub entertainer. Her Torchsong had a passage in it thst went somethin like "Kissas, Kissas, Kissas! Do those words give you some food for thought?

Ummah Muslim

1/27/2013 6:13:15 PM

france killed more then 15% of the Algerians. They burned the Algerians to death. But that is something france does not want to acknowledge. killer france!
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