(Image source: euronews)

BY KEVIN DUBOUIS 

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY 

The French Senate passed on Monday a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide of 1915. The approval has sparked protests in Paris and Ankara -- but Armenians are grateful. Euronews has a speech from French Parliamentary relations minister Patrick Ollier.

“Denial is the ultimate insult to the collective memory that we share; those who encourage this oversight only feel the hatred that could and should have decreased over time ...”

France had already recognized the 1915 massacres as a genocide in 2001, but the new law -- approved by 127 senators while 86 voted against it -- penalizes its denial. Punishment can include a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros -- or $57,000.

Turkish newspapers’ headlines on Tuesday said the ‘Armenian Genocide’ law is an attack on democracy and restricts freedom of speech.

First, a look at a video posted by the newspaper Hurriyet -- thousands of Turks demonstrate in Paris.

BBC explains the ‘Turkish fury’.

“The Turkish foreign ministry branded the decision ‘irresponsible’ and threatened swift retaliatory measures. Armenia says that up to 1.5 million people died in 1915-16 as the Ottoman empire split. Turkey rejects the term genocide and says the number was much smaller.”

Ankara, one of France’s NATO allies, has cut ties with Paris, says the New York Times.

“Turkey has already suspended military cooperation, bilateral political agreement and economic contracts with France over the bill, and on Monday raised the possibility of withdrawing support for Euronews, an international news network based in France, in which Turkey’s national radio and television network holds a 15.5 percent stake.”

As ArmeniaNow reports, the relationship between France and Turkey might worsen even more.

“In Ankara ... the head of Turkey’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee [Volkan Bozkir]  broadcast via Twitter that ‘France opened a black page in its history’.”

But Armenians are celebrating France as a defender of universal human values. France24 has words from Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

“This day will be written in gold, not only in the history of friendship between the Armenian and French people but also in the aim of the history of the protection of human rights worldwide.”

On Tuesday morning, Armenians gathered near the French Embassy in Yerevan to acclaim the bill.

“The bill will now go to President Nicolas Sarkozy for final approval. Critics say it is an effort to win Armenian voters--this year, presidential election.” (Al Jazeera)

President Sarkozy has said he would sign the bill, but Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls it ‘discriminatory and racist’. Sarkozy has reached out to Erdogan to ease tensions.