Turkish-French ties stand to gain from genocide ruling

The French Senate's legal commission yesterday ruled that a law penalizing the denial of Armenian genocide claims violates freedom of expression, an opinion that if upheld by lawmakers could remove a major irritant in ties with Turkey. "The decision was taken unanimously," said Jacques Blanc, the head of the French-Turkish friendship group in the Senate. The commission, presided over by a former judge, ruled that the bill should be struck down due to its violation of freedom of expression, according to Blanc. "The decision means that we can't even have a debate on the issue, and if this decision is accepted by the senators it will be impossible to bring it back to the Senate," he added. "That will enable us to turn the page on the issue."