Genocide bill responds to Turkey’s failure to keep promises – expert

December 24, 2011 – 14:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Adoption of the bill criminalizing denial of the
Armenian Genocide derived from the failure of Turkish policy towards
Armenia, a turkologist said.

According to Anush Hovhannisyan passage of the bill by the French
National Assembly is Armenia’s victory but `we should not forget that
politics is based on mutual interest. For now, interests of Armenia
and France meet.’

Reflecting on Armenian-Turkish relations, the expert said that the
story with protocols showed that Turkey has no intention to normalize
relations with Armenia.

`Adoption of the bill is a response to unfulfilled promises by
Turkey,’ Hovhannisyan said.

On December 22, French National Assembly passed the bill criminalizing
the Armenian Genocide denial. The draft law envisages a year in jail
and a fine of 45,000 euros for those who publicly deny the Armenian
Genocide in France.