Turkey ends 'genocide' measures against France

ISTANBUL

AP Photo

Turkey has ended sanctions on France that were enacted after former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's attempted to pass a bill criminalizing denial of the events of 1915 as genocide, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said today.
 
The move was based on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's orders, Davutoğlu said during an interview with private broadcaster CNNTürk.
 
"We can see that [newly elected President François] Hollande has the will to work through problems," Davutoğlu said, defining the future of Hollande's presidency as a new page in bilateral relations.
 
Turkey had taken a series of harsh measures against France following the French Senate's approval last December of a bill criminalizing the denial of genocide claims for the events of 1915. France's Constitutional Court then overturned the bill, preventing it from becoming law.
 
Turkey recalled its ambassador to Paris and ended all bilateral and international cooperation with France, including projects running under the European Union. Military permits were also canceled and ports were closed to French Navy ships.