Sarkozy urges Turkey to recognize Armenian genocide

French leader Nicholas Sarkozy visited Armenia and called on Turkey to recognize the 1915 killings of Armenians as genocide, hopefully during his tenure as president.

“If a big country like Turkey accepts the dark pages of its history…. Armenia and France will see it as a real step forward,” Sarkozy said.

Otherwise, he said, “France would go further and change the law to qualify the denial of the genocide as a criminal offence.”

Speaking at a joint news conference with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Sarkozy said Turkey was a bridge between the East and the West, praised its role and achievements but ruled out its EU membership in the near future.

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