President of France Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, CNN Turk reported. Sarkozy writes in the letter that the bill criminalizing the denial of genocides should not affect the relations between France and Turkey.
The letter reads:
“Esteemed Prime Minister. I want to reply to your letter and write about the bill that will be discussed at the Senate and is of great importance in terms of the relations between the two countries. Firstly, I want to say that the aim of the bill is to eliminate the feeling of denial in the French society and heal the wounds lasting for a hundred year. This is a common bill concerning all genocides recognized in the world. No nation is targeted at in the bill. We understand the pains of the Turkish people in the World War I and during the fall of the Ottoman Empire. I know that it is not easy to admit what happened in the history, to face history. France admitted the very bitter truth – its responsibility in the sale of slaves, its role in sending to death camps the Jews living in France. In 2007, I myself condemned the atrocity of the French colonization in Algeria and spoke about the pains of the Algerian people. Turkey is a great country and is an important ally of France. Being two friends and allies I want us to rely on common sense. I want you to know that the excessive steps that can be taken with regard to this bill will damage the multilateral relations between the two countries and the responsibility for this will fall on those who will take these steps.
The lower house of the French parliament passed the bill criminalizing the denial of the genocides, including “Armenian genocide”. The issue will be discussed at the Senate on January 23. The Constitutional Commission of the Senate has given a negative opinion. If the opinion is approved at the general meeting of the Senate, the bill will not be discussed. If the commission’s opinion is not approved, the bill will be put to the vote.
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