French MPs pass ‘genocide’ bill

BBC
October 12, 2006

The French parliament has adopted a bill making it a crime to deny
that Armenians suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks,
infuriating Turkey.

The bill, which would make genocide denial punishable by a year in
jail and a 45,000-euro ($56,400) fine, will now be passed to the
Senate and president.

Turkey has threatened to retaliate with economic sanctions against France.

Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people systematically in
1915 – a claim strongly denied by Turkey.