France: French Senators Pass Law Criminalizing Armenian Genocide Denial, Turkey Rages at ‘Satan Sarkozy’ and Threatens Retaliation

The French want to acknowledge the history of Turkey’s genocide of an estimated 1.5 million Armenian Christians. The Turks would rather rewrite it. You know what they say about those who ignore history …

By Kim Willsher – “French senators have approved legislation making it a crime to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago constitutes genocide.

The law, which has already been passed by members of the Assemblée Nationale, the lower house, has sparked a major diplomatic row between France and Turkey, which has threatened ‘permanent consequences’.

Immediately after the Sénat vote on Monday night, Turkish justice minister Sadullah Ergin described it as a ‘total lack of respect’ and a ‘great injustice’ towards his country. Ankara had already threatened retaliation if the bill was passed.

After French MPs approved the bill in December, Turkey recalled its ambassador, cancelled all economic and political meetings, and halted military cooperation with France.

Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, had earlier warned of further measures: ‘If every EU (European Union) parliament implements decisions reflecting its own view of history a new inquisition period will begin in Europe.’

Supporters of the bill claim 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered in Turkey under the Ottoman authorities during the first world war in a deliberate policy that constitutes genocide.” Read more.

Turkey rages at ‘Satan Sarkozy’ over ‘racist’ French bill criminalizing genocide denial – “Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan attacked the French parliament on Tuesday for passing a ‘discriminatory and racist’ bill which makes it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide… Some Turkish newspapers listed possible measures that Ankara might take against France. These included the recall of its ambassador from Paris and telling the French ambassador to go home, reducing diplomatic ties to charge d’affaires level, and closing Turkish airspace and waters to French military aircraft and vessels… Turkey’s ambassador in Paris, Tahsin Burcuoglu, said the vote would lead to a “total rupture” of relations between the two countries…” Read more.