Despite Turkey's pressure on the European Union to prevent such a draft which Ankara "fears" could spread moves in Europe to criminalize any denial of the Armenian Genocide, the EU is close to adopt the bill. The Justice and Home Affairs Council is expected to reach a general approach on this Framework Decision on Thursday in Luxembourg.

Turkish Daily News reports, recent discussions on this file in all preparatory bodies of the Council have shown the political will of the delegations to achieve consensus on the text of the Framework Decision. The technical questions have nearly all been solved.

The draft text will make it mandatory for all EU member states to punish public incitement "to violence or hatred against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, color, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin and will also criminalize publicly condoning, denying or trivializing crimes of genocide."

Member states will ensure that these conducts are punishable by criminal penalties of a maximum of at least between one and three years of imprisonment. Member states will not have to modify their constitutional rules and fundamental principles relating to freedom of association, freedom of the press and the freedom of expression. After its adoption, member states will have two years to comply with the Framework Decision.