'Genocide' law targets no state, Sarkozy tells Erdoğan

'Genocide' law targets no state, Sarkozy tells Erdoğan

REUTERS

REUTERS photo

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sent a formal letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying a law approved earlier by the French Senate did not target any one particular state today. 

Turkey had expressed fury after the French Senate passed a bill criminalizing denials of the 1915 events as genocide in spite of threats from Ankara to punish Paris with “permanent” sanctions if the bill was passed. 

Sarkozy urged Turkey to take into account its "common interests" with France in his letter.