French-Turkish friendship group visits parliament

Visiting Parliament yesterday, Jacques Blanc, president of the French-Turkish Friendship Group in the French Senate, said he hoped a bill penalizing the denial of Armenian "genocide" claims goes nowhere, leaving the issue to historians. Speaking while meeting with Blanc, Deputy Parliament Speaker Sadik Yakut Yakut said the French Senate's passage of the bill several years ago was a sad development in relations between Turkey and France. Blanc said he was aware of Turkey's sensitivity on the Armenian allegations. On Turkey's European Union bid, Blanc said the EU needs new projects and momentum, and they want to see Turkey take part in such projects.