January 21, 2012 - 17:44 AMT
Turks to protest Genocide bill in Paris

On January 21, Paris is planned to see a large-scale action by Turkish organizations in protest of the debate of the bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial.

All Turkish organizations of Europe and Azerbaijani diaspora members are invited to participate in the event, according to Turkish media.

“180 buses of Turks will arrive in Paris from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and England, with about 506 buses from other cities of France. At least 35 thous. Turks are expected to participate in the protest action,” head of France-Turkey Association committee Hikmet Türk said.

The march is scheduled to end at 17:00 before the French Senate building.

On December 22, 2011, French National Assembly passed a bill criminalizing public denial of the Armenian Genocide. If passed and signed into law by the Senate, the bill would impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.