France owes Turkey an historic apology for failing to protect Turkish diplomats from Armenian terrorists, says EU Minister Bagis

ANKARA (A.A) - December 22, 2011 - Turkish Minister for European Union (EU) Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Egemen Bagis, said Thursday that protecting foreign citizens was the honor of the host country. In a message issued on Thursday to remember the late Turkish Tourism Attache Yilmaz Colpan who was killed in Paris by Armenian terrorists 32 years ago, Bagis said that "as all martyrs, Colpan will always be in the hearts of the Turkish nation". It is so painful to remember Yilmaz Colpan on the same day that an Armenian resolution is being debated at the French Parliament. It is the honor of a country to protect foreign nationals. France owes Turkey an historic apology for failing to protect Yilmaz Colpan, Ismail Erez, Talip Yener, Resat Morali, Tecelli Ari, Cemal Ozen and other Turkish diplomats and nationals from Armenian terrorists, Bagis stressed. The French Parliament on Thursday will vote on a resolution that criminalizes the rejection of Armenian allegations pertaining to the incidents of 1915 with a prison term of one year and a monetary fine of 45,000 euros. Turkey strongly opposes the issue of the incidents of 1915 being used as a tool in French politics. Many believe that French President Nicolas Sarkozy supports the Armenian resolution in order to garner support from France's Armenian population that number around 500,000. France will hold the first round of next year's presidential election on April 22 and the second round run-off on May 6. French President Sarkozy is running for a second term.