Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator called French President Nicolas Sarkozy a “Pinocchio”.

“In the fairy tale, Pinocchio’s nose would grow when he told lies. I know someone in France whose heels will be growing higher in the same manner,” Egemen Bagis said, following French National Assembly’s adoption of a bill penalizing Armenian Genocide denial.

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.