PM: Law on "Armenian genocide" has no significance for Turkey

The details were added (the first version was posted at 14:25) Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 24 / Trend A. Taghiyeva / The law on criminalizing the denial of the "Armenian genocide" has no significance for Turkey, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by TRT Haber TV channel as saying today. "Yesterday we watched a registered voting," he said. "The law does not have any sense." Erdogan said that the law contradicts all the principles of European democracy and freedom of speech. Prime Minister also stressed that at this stage Turkey takes a waiting position and closely observes the events. "Turkey will continue to impose new sanctions against France," Erdogan said. The French Senate - Upper House of parliament adopted the bill. Some 127 senators voted in favour, while 86 were against on Jan.23. The Lower House of the French Parliament adopted a bill criminalising the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" on Dec.22. Some 45 out of 577 French MPs voted with 38 voting for and seven against the adoption of the bill. The bill demands about a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide". In response to this decision Turkey announced that it has frozen all diplomatic relations with France. MPs from the French President's Union for Popular Movement (UMP) party which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill which aims at criminalizing denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az