Ankara’s strong diplomatic response to the French law criminalizing the genocide denial has led delaying the opening of the Turkish Consulate General in Bordeaux.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed the opening of the Turkish Consulate in Bordeaux and Nantes during his one-day visit to Turkey last year.

Both countries have fulfilled all the requirements for the opening of a consulate, but France shifted the date of giving permission to the opening of Consulate immediately after Ankara’s diplomatic response to the Senate’s decision on genocide bill, Anadolu agency reports.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the information, noting that the level of diplomatic relations between the countries was reduced after the adoption of this law. Following the adoption of the law message exchanges between the Turkish and French ambassadors and foreign ministers almost stopped, the MFA said.

The bill criminalizing denial of genocides was accepted by the French parliament on December 22, 2011 and then was approved by the French Senate. However, several Senators appealed the bill in the Constitutional Council.

The Constitutional Council of France recognized the bill criminalizing the genocide denials, including the Armenian Genocide, non-constitutional on Tuesday.  

French President Nicolas Sarkozy instructed the Ministry of Justice to elaborate a new text of the bill on genocide denial taking into account the Constitutional Council’s decision.