French senators on Monday approved a bill that outlaws denial of the Armenian genocide, despite vows from a furious Turkey that it would punish Paris with "permanent" sanctions.

The Senate passed by a vote of 127 to 86 the bill which threatens with jail anyone in France who denies that the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks amounted to genocide.

The measure must now be signed by President Nicolas Sarkozy to become law.