French approval of denial bill grave mistake, Turkish president says

ANKARA (A.A) - December 28, 2011 - Turkish President Abdullah Gul has said French parliament had made "a terrible mistake" by approving a bill that makes it a crime to deny Armenian allegations regarding the Ottoman era incidents of 1915. "This is a mistake, an unforgivable mistake on the part of France and the French president," Gul told Tuesday a televised interview on private Channel 24.   Gul said the approval of bill was the result of domestic political calculations before the French presidential elections scheduled for May, adding that the bill cast a shadow on French democracy. "It is French intellectuals and writers who must direct the most fierce criticisms. I hope the bill would not come to the senate floor," Gul said. The bill penalizes denial of Armenian allegations with a prison term of one year and a fine of 45 thousand euros.  A piece of legislation in 2006 -- proposed by the Socialist Party back then -- was approved by the lower house of the French assembly but the French senate rejected to debate the bill last May.  The bill had the backing of French President Nicolas Sarkozy who had expressed support during a visit to Yerevan last October ahead of the presidential elections next year. The bill needs approval of the French senate before winning any binding power and it has come to the senate floor for debate before February 22.