By Daisy Ayliffe - 19th October 2006
The US has criticised the French decision to criminalise denial of the Armenian genocide.
Speaking in Brussels on Friday, the US assistant secretary of state for European affairs Daniel Fried hit out at French polemics on the issue.
“The US shares that view that legislation criminalising discussion of an issue does not make sense,” Fried told reporters.
“The US has spoken out about terrible events of Ottoman empire but we have not used the term genocide.”
Calling on Turkey to carefully consider its history, the Washington official said every country has “parts in its history that it is not proud of.”
Last week the French lower house approved a bill making it a crime to deny Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks.
The move sparked outrage in Ankara where officials fear ties between the Nato allies will be badly affected.
"This will be an unforgettable shame on France,” said Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul.
“France can never describe itself as a country of freedoms again."
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