Erdogan Urges Sarkozy to Block Armenian Genocide Bill, Warns of ‘Serious Consequences’
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed Friday to French President Nicolas Sarkozy to block the approval of an Armenian genocide bill and warned of "serious consequences" if it passes.
"This bill directly targets the Turkish Republic, the Turkish nation and the Turkish community living in France and it is hostile," Erdogan said in a letter sent to Sarkozy, according to the Anatolia news agency.
Next week, France's National Assembly is expected to pass a law banning the denial of the 1915 to 1916 massacre, which Armenians regard as a deliberate genocide while Turks argue the deaths were a side-effect of war.
France, which has a large population of Armenian descent, has recognized the event as genocide since 2001, but the bill proposed by a member of Sarkozy's majority party has strained ties with Ankara.
Modern day Armenia, now independent, and around 20 countries regard the killings as genocide.
Source: Agence France Presse
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