Azernews.Az

Discussion of the alleged Ottoman-era genocide of Armenians in Turkey in the French Senate will do nothing to improve intergovernmental relations, an Azerbaijani presidential aide has said.

"Including this issue in the French parliament's agenda is politicization of an event associated with history. This issue should be studied and discussed by historians," Ali Hasanov, the Presidential Administration official in charge of social and political affairs, told journalists.

His remarks came as the French parliament prepares to vote Thursday on a law making it a crime to deny Armenian claims of "genocide" during the 1915 events.

Hasanov warned that the French legislature’s tabling the issue would have an adverse impact on France-Turkey relations.

"At the same time, Azerbaijan is in a state of war with Armenia. Armenian leadership is responsible for such a tragic event as Khojaly [a massacre committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis during the Karabakh war in 1992], and they are the ones raising such fictitious issues. Such events will not positively affect relations between states," Hasanov said.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev also believes that the events termed as "genocide" should be addressed by historians.

"It is disappointing that in some countries, parliament members fall victim of the Armenian lobby, which clearly does not meet the interests of those countries," Abdullayev said.

Azerbaijani Parliament Vice-Speaker Bahar Muradova said passage of such decisions questions France’s impartiality as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.

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. After the bill is voted upon in the Senate, the parliament’s upper chamber, it is to be sent back to the French National Assembly. If endorsed again, it will be submitted to the French president for signing.

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.