March 21, 2006 - 18:42 AMT
ARF Demands to End Any Anti-Armenian Expressions
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has urged French authorities to display special vigilance towards cases of denial of the Armenian Genocide. The ARF Western Europe Central Committee has condemned the Turkish demonstration held in Lyon on March 18. The ARF condemns the decision by the Rhone region governor to sanction this hate and denial demonstration, though he was informed upfront about the real goal of the demonstration and that Turkish government had secretly contributed to this demonstration through the Turkish Embassy in Paris and Turkish Consulate in Lyon. He was also aware of the contribution the Grey Wolves, a fascist organization. The ARF notes that using the Grey Wolves threatens France and the French people. The Turkish government on the highest level has decided to organize the Turkish communities in Europe. The March 18 demonstrations in Lyon and Berlin were the first expressions of the Turkish government's involvement. The Lyon demonstration had clear characteristics of Genocide denial, something unacceptable to a country like France. France has to immediately undertake adequate steps to end the development of that damaging movement. The ARF demands that an investigation be launched to find the organizers of the demonstration and to unveil the involvement of the Turkish government in the demonstration, as well as to put an end to any anti-Armenian expression in France.