President: Turkey to take tough measures after adopted law on “Armenian genocide”

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 24 / Trend A. Taghiyeva / The law criminalizing the denial of the "Armenian genocide" adopted by the French Senate will move the relations between France and Turkey in a different direction and Turkey will take tough measures against France, Turkish President Abdullah Gul was quoted by TRT Haber TV channel as saying today. "Turkey condemns this law, which will cause a severe blow to the relations between the two countries with regret," he 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