Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.20 / Trend A.Taghiyeva /
President of France Nicolas Sarkozy has sent Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a letter regarding the Senate's forthcoming consideration of the bill criminalising the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide", the Hurriyet newspaper reported on Friday.
Mr Sarkozy indicated in the letter that this bill doesn't aim to go against any particular side and nor pursue private interests.
"France hopes consideration of this bill will not affect bilateral relations between Ankara and Paris," the letter says. It also notes France admits its historical mistakes, including events in Algeria.
"It is not difficult to face history. However France managed to overcome this barrier and admits its mistakes," Mr Sarkozy noted.
The Lower Chamber of the French Parliament adopted a bill criminalising the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, while 38 voted for and seven voted against the adoption of the bill.
The bill demands about a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
In response Turkey announced that it has frozen all diplomatic relations with France.
MPs from the French President's Union for Popular Movement (UMP) party which has the parliamentary majority proposed the bill which aims at criminalising denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.