Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani First Vice-Speaker Ziyafat Asgarov on Tuesday lambasted the ongoing discussion in the French parliament of a bill criminalizing denial of the alleged Ottoman-era genocide of Armenians in Turkey, labeling it "an insult to French democracy".

"Discussing this issue in the French parliament is absurd," Asgarov told reporters, adding that everyone may have their own opinion.

He said such a debate "does not promise anything good" in terms of the relations between Turkey and France because it can be considered as pressure on Ankara.

"The misfortune of the Armenians is that they are used in such matters. However, they themselves cannot escape this situation, because they are simply such a nation. This pressure on Turkey doesn't fit into any international standards," Asgarov said.

The vice-speaker did not rule out that the French parliament’s passage of the "genocide" bill could also affect Azerbaijani-French relations.

The lower house of France’s parliament, the National Assembly, has passed a bill by a 106-19 vote which envisions a jail sentence of up to one year and a 45,000 euro fine for those denying that the "genocide" occurred.

The bill now goes to the Senate, the parliament’s upper chamber, and then will be sent back to the French National Assembly. If endorsed again, it will be sent to the French president for signing. It is now up to the French government when the bill will be sent to the Senate.

The French legislature recognized the "genocide" in January 2001.

Armenians residing in Turkey’s Anatolia region staged riots during World War I and fought against the Ottoman army in support of Russia. In an effort to end stand-off, the Ottoman government decided in 1915 to resettle the Armenians to other parts of the country. Armenians say 1.5 million of their ancestors were killed in the process, a claim dismissed by Turkey, and have been trying to muster international support for the recognition of the alleged genocide worldwide.