French MPs outrage Turkey with by approving Armenian genocide Bill
French MPs have today approved a Bill that makes it a criminal offence to deny that Turkish massacres of Armenians in 1915-17 constituted genocide, causing embarrassment to the French Government and outrage in Turkey.
Deputies in the National Assembly voted 106-19 for the bill, which if signed into law, would punish denial with a maximum one-year prison term and a fine of up to €45,000 (£30,000).
After the vote, the French government stressed that it valued close ties with Turkey and said that it would continue to oppose the motion, which needs to be ratified by the upper house Senate.
"This is just the beginning of a long legislative process. At each stage, the government will continue to make known its position on this proposed Bill, which appears unnecessary and untimely," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
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Deputies in the National Assembly voted 106-19 for the bill, which if signed into law, would punish denial with a maximum one-year prison term and a fine of up to €45,000 (£30,000).
After the vote, the French government stressed that it valued close ties with Turkey and said that it would continue to oppose the motion, which needs to be ratified by the upper house Senate.
"This is just the beginning of a long legislative process. At each stage, the government will continue to make known its position on this proposed Bill, which appears unnecessary and untimely," a Foreign Ministry statement said.