AN ASSESSMENT OF ARMENIAN CLAIMS IN LIGHT OF THE DECISIONS OF THE FRENCH CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL AND THE ECHR - AMBASSADOR (R) DR. M. ŞÜKRÜ ELEKDAĞ
The Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) is organizing a conference titled “An Assessment of Armenian Claims in Light of the Decisions of the French Constitutional Council and the ECHR”. The speaker will be Ambassador (R) Dr. Şükrü Elekdağ.
On January 8, 2016, the French Constitutional Council declared its judgment on the action for the annulment of the Gayssot law on the grounds that the law was only penalizing the denial of the Holocaust and not the denial of the “Armenian genocide” which is recognized by French law. Armenian activists in France and a French-Turkish organization, TTETD, which has requested the removal of Armenian genocide allegations from French school books, participated in the case as intervenors. In their appeal, TTETD demanded the annulment of the 2001 law accusing Turkey for the “Armenian genocide” on the grounds that it was devoid of legal basis and because it violates the French Constitution. At the end of the case, the French Constitutional Council decided that the Gayssot law, which punishes the denial of crimes defined by the international criminal court, did not contradict the French Constitution. In this context, it was confirmed that only an authorized court has the jurisdiction to determine whether or not an act can be qualified as genocide.
As a result, the potential implications of this law, adopted by the French Parliament in 2001 that defines the events of 1915 as genocide, and the possibility of adopting laws which criminalize the denial of the “Armenian genocide” have disappeared.
During the conference, Ambassador (R) Dr. Şükrü Elekdağ will share his thoughts on the two cases; Armenian allegations and the importance and potential implications of the disagreements between Armenia and Turkey.
We will be delighted to have you join us on Monday, April 4, 2016. The meeting will take place at AVİM Conference Hall at 14:00.
The meeting will be held in Turkish.
RSVP: Hülya Önalp
Telephone: 0 312 438 50 23-24
Fax: 0 312 438 50 26
E-mail: honalp@avim.org.tr
Place: AVİM Conference Hall
Address: Süleyman Nazif Sok. No:12/B D.5 Çankaya / ANKARA
Date: 4 April 2016
Time: 14:00