'France should not forget its history'

France should not forget its history, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at a press conference on Friday, Turkish TRT Haber TV channel reported.

"France should not forget its history. Parliament, adopting a bill which criminalizes the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" will deal a serious blow to freedom of speech and expression," Davutoglu said.

He said Ankara will do its utmost so that this bill was not adopted.

The Lower House of the French Parliament adopted a bill criminalising the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide". Some 45 out of 577 French MPs voted with 38 voting for and seven against the adoption of the bill.

The bill demands about a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide". In response to this decision Turkey announced that it has frozen all diplomatic relations with France.

MPs from the French President's Union for Popular Movement (UMP) party which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill which aims at criminalising denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.


/Trend/