Turkey won't carry out threats even if France adopts Genocide bill – expert

December 19, 2011 - 13:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Caucasus Institute director commented on a possible response of Turkey in case of France’s adoption of a bill penalizing Armenian Genocide denial.

Replying to PanARMENIAN.Net reporter’s question at news conference in Yerevan, Alexander Iskandaryan predicted Ankara’s nervous response, however was sceptical that Turkey’s threats will be carried out.

“France is an important actor in Europe, so I doubt Turkey's threats of severing ties with the official Paris will be executed,” the expert noted.

However, Iskandaryan refused to make forecasts as to the possibility of adoption of the bill in question.

A draft law envisaging a one-year prison sentence and 45,000 euro fine for denying the Armenian Genocide is due to go before French parliament December 22.

As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said earlier, Ankara will retaliate by all diplomatic means if the French senate approves the bill penalizing Genocide denial.