The French Senate is expected to pass a bill on criminalization of denial of the Armenian Genocide, unless anything is changed in its structure and content, Armenian expert Hakob Chakryan said.

Aggravation of Turkish-French relations will first of all have a negative impact on Turkish economy, and therefore it is more likely that the bill will not have any serious aftermath, according to the expert.

“We once faced a similar situation when France acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, so the bill will have no affect on Armenian-Turkish relations as well,” Chakryan said and added that Turkey’s threats prove that it has never had any intention to normalize relations with Armenia.

Today, January 23, the French Senate will debate a bill criminalizing public denial of the Armenian Genocide. The motion was adopted on December 22, 2011, by the lower house of the French parliament - National Assembly.

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.

Turkey threatens to sever ties with France in case the bill passes the Senate.