Bill criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide is a measure to fight racism - Kiro Manoyan.

French National Assembly's bill is based of EU's call to pass bills criminalizing denial of genocides as a measure to fight racism, Kiro Manoyan, Head of ARFD Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office, told media on December 23 when commenting of the French National Assembly's bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey overnight. 

The new bill stipulates one year in prison and a fine in the amount of 45,000 Euros for anyone who denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide in the territory of France. Earlier on December 7 when the French National Assembly Committee for Legal Affairs passed the bill, Turkey recalled its ambassador for consultation. 

"Earlier Slovakia passed a similar bill after it recognized the Armenian Genocide. But Slovakia avoided such sharp response by Turkey. As for the France's bill, Turkey is concerned that France may serve an example for other European countries, leaving alone the response of the Turkish public. In 2006 a similar bill was studied in France, intellectuals and Hrant Dink came out against it then and called it similar to the notorious Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code. Many Turkish intellectuals blame Turkey's policy of denial and not France, which intimidates Turkish leadership," he said.        

Manoyan said that ARFD does not take seriously Turkey's hysteria over the bill criminalizing genocides and other crimes against humanity. Turks are well aware and openly declare that freezing relations with France will affect Turkey first of all. "All the steps of Turkey before and after adoption of the bill has compromised it. It is simply silly when Ahmet Davutoglu speaks of the freedom of speech," Manoyan said.