Paris: France won’t sever ties with Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net - The official Paris confirms its adherence to further cooperation with Turkey, French Foreign Ministry told PanARMENIAN.Net

Asked to comment on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayipp Erdogan’s urge for France’s expulsion as an OSCE Mink Group co-chair over its “explicit support for Armenia”, the ministry representative noted, “Turkey remains an important partner to France.”

“We’ll continue cooperation with Turkey along the planned lines,” the Ministry representative said.

The bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial adopted by the French Senate proves France’s shifting to the side of one of the parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, according to Turkish Prime Minister.

As Erdogan said in an interview with ANS TV channel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s statements during his visit to Armenia proved “France’s explicit support for one of the conflicting sides.” Erdogan further called for dismissal of France from OSCE Minsk Group, whilst urging UN Security Council to intensify engagement in the conflict resolution.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. If signed into law by President, the bill will impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Two separate groups of French politicians who oppose the legislation - from both the Senate and the lower house - said they had formally requested the constitutional council examine the law. The groups said they each had gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required to ask the council to test the law's constitutionality. The council is obliged to deliver its judgment within a month, but this can be reduced to eight days if the government deems the matter urgent.