Genocide denial criminalizing bill adoption to hinder Turkish-Greek relations: Hurriyet

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: The adoption of the bill entitled “Fight against xenophobia” at the Greek Parliament, envisaging criminal punishment for the people denying genocides, may damage the Turkish-Greek relations. Armenpress reports that the Turkish Hurriyet periodical informed about it.

The media states that in the framework of the NATO summit in Wales during the last week, the President of TurkeyRecep Tayyip Erdoganmet with the Prime Minster of Greece Antonis Samaras and expressed his concerns over the bill. Erdogan stated that the adoption of the bill may have a negative impact on the Turkish-Greek relations. In response the Greek PM assured that the case concerns “showing respect towards the victims and the bill has nothing to do with the relations with the modern Turkey”.

The Parliament of Greece adopted the genocide denial criminalizing bill on September 9 with 54 votes for, 42 against and 3 neutral.

The amended version of the bill entitled “Fight against xenophobia” envisages bringing to criminal account for denial of the genocides of not only Jews, but also Armenians and Pontus Greeks. The bill provides for big money fines and imprisonment for the people, who will publicly humiliate and deny the genocides and the crimes committed against humanity recognized by the Greek Parliament and international courts. So Greece is the third EU member state after Switzerland and Slovakia that will criminalize the Armenian Genocide denial.