Relations with France might suffer irreparable consequences – Turkish FM

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned France that relations between the two countries will “suffer irreparable consequences” should the French National Assembly pass the bill on criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

He argued that at times of harsh economic crisis in Europe, Turkey marks economic growth: “A lot of European and inter alia French companies make investments in Turkey, adoption of this unfortunate bill might badly affect these,” Davutoglu said at his meeting with French businessmen.

He added that he is not the type of Minister to go to Paris and express his respect to the decisions of the French parliament.

“I will do none of this. Should they ask me whether Genocide was committed, I would say it’s all irrelevant fiction. I cannot say about the response of the French side to my statements but all this is of no good for Turkish-French relations. These talks have nothing to do with democracy and European values,” Davutoglu said.

Under the bill, which will be debated by the French National Assembly on December 22, anyone in France who publicly denies that the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire constituted Genocide could face a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros.