French senators have rallied against a bill that criminalises the denial of genocide of the Armenians by Turkey, forcing it to be referred to the country’s highest court.
The bill, which was passed by both houses of parliament, had not yet been signed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and will now be examined by the constitutional court. A petition against the bill was signed by 76 senators from across parties, more than the minimum 60 needed, compelling the bill to be referred to the court.
The deferring of the law will have taken Sarkozy by surprise, with Lionel Tardy a deputy from Sarkozy’s party commenting,
"This is an atomic bomb for the Elysee [the presidential office] which didn't see it coming."
The move has been welcomed by Turkey, who were angered as the bill passed through the French parliament, and cut diplomatic ties between the two countries.
A spokesman for the Turkish embassy in Paris, Engin Solakoglu, said,
“Ties between France and Turkey are going to ease.”
"There had been a risk of a rift. For now, this rift appears to have been avoided."
See our earlier post: France passes Armenian genocide bill, sparking Turkish anger (24 Jan 2012)
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