France's lower house of parliament approved a bill today making it a crime to deny Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, provoking anger in Turkey and raising fresh doubts about its EU ambitions.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the vote would hurt ties between the two NATO allies and analysts warned it would complicate Turkey's efforts to secure European Union membership.
The bill might never become law because it still needs the approval of the upper house Senate and president, but French business fears it will suffer an immediate backlash in Turkey.
Turkey denies accusations of a genocide of some 1.5 million Armenians during the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in World War One, arguing that Armenian deaths were a part of general partisan fighting in which both sides suffered.
However, France's Armenian community, which at about 500,000-strong is one of the largest in Europe, had pushed hard for the bill and found cross-party support in parliament.
Today's motion was carried by 106 votes to 19.
The legislation establishes a one-year prison term and €45,000 fine for anyone denying the genocide the same sanction as for denying the Nazi genocide of Jews.
"Does a genocide committed in World War One have less value than a genocide committed in World War Two? Obviously not," Philippe Pomezec, a parliamentarian with the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), said during the debate.
The French government did not support the motion and promised today to oppose it when it gets to the Senate, but Turkey said the damage had already been done.
"French-Turkish relations ... have been dealt a blow today as a result of the irresponsible false claims of French politicians who do not see the political consequences of their actions," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.