Turkey’s FM Ahmet Davutoglu stated that if the bill, which criminalizes the denial of the Armenian Genocide, passes in France, the latter would become the first European state to import medieval thinking.

Davutoglu noted that the passage of this bill would be a restriction upon the freedom of speech and a blow to France’s own values. “The presence of medieval thinking in France is very dangerous. If the Armenian resolution passes, France would become the first state in Europe to have imported medieval thinking. And thus France would disregard its own values: freedom of speech and thought,” Davutoglu maintained. He also stressed that it is very wrong that the day, when the bill will be examined, coincides with the day of the killing of a Turkish diplomat, in Paris, by ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia).    

To note, the French National Assembly will discuss this bill on December 22. And, in this connection, the Turkish authorities have made threatening statements and also sent a parliamentary delegation to France, to prevent the bill’s passage.