Turkey Slams France’s ‘Racist’ Genocide Bill, Warns of Retaliatory Measures
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday slammed as discriminatory and racist a bill passed by the French Senate making denial of the Armenian genocide a crime.
"The proposal adopted in France is tantamount to discrimination, racism and violates freedom of thought," Erdogan said in the parliament during an address to his fellow deputies.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the decision, saying the law should not be finalized to "avoid this being recorded as part of France's political, legal and moral mistakes."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose party supported the bill, must sign it into law, but that is largely considered a formality.
If the law is signed, "we will not hesitate to implement, as we deem appropriate, the measures that we have considered in advance," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said. It did not elaborate on the measures.
France's parliament approved the bill late Monday, risking more sanctions from Turkey and complicating an already delicate relationship with the rising power. Officials in Sarkozy's government insisted the vote didn't directly target the country.
Turkey, which sees the allegations of genocide as a threat to its national honor, has already suspended military, economic and political ties, and briefly recalled its ambassador last month when the lower house of parliament approved the same bill.
Source: Agence France Presse, Associated Press
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