On January 24, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé called on “our Turkish friends to remain calm."

"Turkey is a great country, a great economic power, a great political power. We need to have good relations with it," Juppé said. "Now this slightly excessive wave [of reaction], one must say it, I am certain that we'll return to constructive relations. I'm holding my hand out and I hope that it'll be taken one day," Radio Free Europe quoted Juppé as saying.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against.

On December 22, 2011, the bill was adopted by the French National Assembly. The bill will 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.

Turkish authorities threatened France with breaking of ties in case of passing the bill. Moreover the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he will never step foot in France if the Senate passes the draft law.