Epress.am News from Armenia
Headlines in Turkish newspapers to the French Senate on Monday passing a bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide were anything but calm. “A guillotine to free thought” said Star, while Aksam described the French move as “A guillotine to history”.
“Shame on France” cried the Vatan daily. While Sozcu, a small newspaper that usually directs its scorn at Erdogan, found a new target with “Satan Sarkozy” including a controversial manipulated picture of the French president with giant ears and red eyes. Elsewhere in the Turkish press, the statement that the law will “murder” democracy was noted.
Some Turkish newspapers listed possible measures that Ankara might take against France, Reuters reported. These included the recall of its ambassador from Paris and telling the French ambassador to go home, reducing diplomatic ties to charge d’affaires level, and closing Turkish airspace and waters to French military aircraft and vessels.
Relations between France and Turkey are expected to worsen following Sarkozy’s signature of the bill into law. He is expected to ratify the bill before parliament is suspended in February before the presidential election.
However, it could still be rejected if about 60 lawmakers agree to appeal the decision at France’s highest court and this body considers the text unconstitutional. The Constitutional Council would have one month to make its decision.