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Gül says Perinçek's detention in Switzerland unacceptable
Monday, July 25, 2005
DIPLOMACY
Two months after opening an inquiry into historian Halaçgolu a new
criminal probe has been launched into politician Perinçek inSwitzerland
for denying alleged Armenian genocide, threatening new diplomatic
tension in ties
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül expressed regret at the detention
of a Turkish political party leader in Switzerland for remarks denying
an alleged Armenian genocide and said it was unacceptable.
Gül calls the Swiss move to detain Workers' Party (İ leader Dogu
Perinçek for questioning for a speech he made in Switzerland as
a behavior that does not respect the principle of freedom, one of the
most basic values of the modern world, Foreign Ministry sources said
yesterday.
Perinçek was detained on Saturday for questioning by Swiss
authorities in the city of Winterthur for his remarks at a conference
on Friday in the Swiss town of Opfikon-Glattburg. In his speech, given
to honor the 82nd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne laying the
foundations of the modern-day Turkey, he denied the allegations that
1.5 million Armenians were victims of genocide at the hands of the
late Ottoman Empire during World War I as an `international lie.'
The İP leader was questioned at the prosecutor's office in the
canton of Winterthur for 3.5 hours before he was released.
He was told by prosecutor Rolf Jaeger that he was free to go after he
had been questioned for about 15 minutes but the questioning
prolonged, because he insisted that his account on what happened in
eastern Anatolia at the beginning of the last century be recorded
officially first, Anatolia news agency said.
Tension in ties again?
In a joint statement yesterday, the prosecutor's office in Winterthur
and the police department of Zurich said that a criminal probe has
been launched into Perinçek as he is suspected of violating
Swiss anti-racism laws by denying the alleged genocide.
Perinçek is the second Turkish citizen who has got into legal
trouble in Switzerland for denying the alleged genocide. In May, an
inquiry was opened in Switzerland into Yusuf Halaçoglu, head of
the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), for public remarks in
Switzerland on the same issue.
The Swiss National Council has approved a resolution recognizing the
alleged genocide and denying the alleged genocide is a violation of
the country's anti-racism laws.
Turkey denies Armenian allegations and says Armenians were killed as
the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell civil unrest caused by the
revolt of Ottoman Armenians in collaboration with the Russian army
during World War I. Ankara says parliaments of third countries should
avoid adopting resolutions on the issue, as it requires a scientific
study.
Gül said Turkish diplomatic missions in Switzerland have been
instructed to take the necessary measures in regard to
Perinçek's detention and added that Turkey would decide what
steps to take in the light of further assessments of the situation.
Monday, July 25, 2005
DIPLOMACY
Two months after opening an inquiry into historian Halaçgolu a new
criminal probe has been launched into politician Perinçek inSwitzerland
for denying alleged Armenian genocide, threatening new diplomatic
tension in ties
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül expressed regret at the detention
of a Turkish political party leader in Switzerland for remarks denying
an alleged Armenian genocide and said it was unacceptable.
Gül calls the Swiss move to detain Workers' Party (İ leader Dogu
Perinçek for questioning for a speech he made in Switzerland as
a behavior that does not respect the principle of freedom, one of the
most basic values of the modern world, Foreign Ministry sources said
yesterday.
Perinçek was detained on Saturday for questioning by Swiss
authorities in the city of Winterthur for his remarks at a conference
on Friday in the Swiss town of Opfikon-Glattburg. In his speech, given
to honor the 82nd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne laying the
foundations of the modern-day Turkey, he denied the allegations that
1.5 million Armenians were victims of genocide at the hands of the
late Ottoman Empire during World War I as an `international lie.'
The İP leader was questioned at the prosecutor's office in the
canton of Winterthur for 3.5 hours before he was released.
He was told by prosecutor Rolf Jaeger that he was free to go after he
had been questioned for about 15 minutes but the questioning
prolonged, because he insisted that his account on what happened in
eastern Anatolia at the beginning of the last century be recorded
officially first, Anatolia news agency said.
Tension in ties again?
In a joint statement yesterday, the prosecutor's office in Winterthur
and the police department of Zurich said that a criminal probe has
been launched into Perinçek as he is suspected of violating
Swiss anti-racism laws by denying the alleged genocide.
Perinçek is the second Turkish citizen who has got into legal
trouble in Switzerland for denying the alleged genocide. In May, an
inquiry was opened in Switzerland into Yusuf Halaçoglu, head of
the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), for public remarks in
Switzerland on the same issue.
The Swiss National Council has approved a resolution recognizing the
alleged genocide and denying the alleged genocide is a violation of
the country's anti-racism laws.
Turkey denies Armenian allegations and says Armenians were killed as
the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell civil unrest caused by the
revolt of Ottoman Armenians in collaboration with the Russian army
during World War I. Ankara says parliaments of third countries should
avoid adopting resolutions on the issue, as it requires a scientific
study.
Gül said Turkish diplomatic missions in Switzerland have been
instructed to take the necessary measures in regard to
Perinçek's detention and added that Turkey would decide what
steps to take in the light of further assessments of the situation.