France passes Armenian "genocide" bill

French Senate yesterday voted for a bill making it a crime to deny the 1915 killings of Armenians as genocide, although Turkey vowed to punish Paris with permanent sanction, in case it is passed into law. While French Senators were discussing the bill, thousands of Turks were protesting in front of the Senate building. Making a speech on behalf of the government, French Minister of Relations with Parliament Patrick Ollier said during yesterday's session that the bill complied with French and EU laws. On the contrary, speaking after Ollier at the Senate before the voting, Constitution Commission head Jean Pierre Sueur requested the rejection of the bill on the grounds that it violates Article 34 of the French constitution. Sueur also reiterated that a research report released by Parliament in 2008 indicates that parliaments should not write history. He also referred to prominent French historian Pierre Nora's statements, indicating that "the parliamentarians cannot write history." But as a result of yesterday's seven-hour session, the bill was adopted with 127 affirmative votes versus 86 negative votes. After French President Nicolas Sarkozy approves the bill, it will be released in the official gazette and will then enter into force.