Armenian Genocide: Turkey again threatens France with sanctions

January 23, 2012 - 12:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on France not to debate the bill on criminalization of the denial of the Armenian Genocide in the French Senate.

Davutoglu told France 24 in an interview that if France doesn’t change its position on the issue, sanctions will be expanded.

"We hope that we shall not have to reveal details of the sanctions that can be imposed. Turkey will not keep silent and new sanctions will follow until France alters its position," Davutoglu said, adding that the bill “contradicts human rights.”

"The time has come for French intellectuals and senators to make a stand for total value, that is freedom of speech," Davutoglu said.

Today, January 23, the French Senate will debate a bill criminalizing public denial of the Armenian Genocide. The motion was adopted on December 22, 2011, by the lower house of the French parliament - National Assembly.

If passed and signed into law by the Senate, the bill would 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.

Turkey threatens to sever ties with France in case the bill passes the Senate.