French MPs approve Armenia genocide Bill

France's lower house of Parliament approved a Bill yesterday making it a crime to deny Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks, provoking anger in Turkey and raising fresh doubts about its EU ambitions.

Ankara said the vote would damage ties between the two Nato allies and French firms operating in Turkey feared they would suffer an immediate backlash.

"This will be an unforgettable shame on France. France can never describe itself as a country of freedoms again," said Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Turkey denies accusations some 1.5 million Armenians were massacred during the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, arguing that Armenian deaths were a part of general partisan fighting in which both sides suffered.

The French government distanced itself from yesterday's Bill, calling it "unnecessary and untimely", and indicated that it might never become law as it still needs to be ratified by both the upper house Senate and French President.

But Turkish officials, fearing a nationalist backlash that could put the pro-European Ankara government on the defensive, said the damage had already been done.

The legislation calls for a one-year prison term and €45,000 fine for anyone denying the 1915 genocide - the same sanction as for denying the Nazi genocide of Jews.

"Does a genocide committed in World War I have less value than a genocide committed in World War II? Obviously not," Philippe Pomezec, a parliamentarian with the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), said during the debate.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan hailed the vote as a "natural continuation of France's principled and consistent defence of human and historic rights and values".

However, analysts saw the move more as a play for Armenian diaspora votes in next year's presidential election and said it highlighted how easily Turkey's EU candidacy can become a hostage to domestic politics in EU member states.