Tensions resurface in Swiss-Turkey relations

Swissinfo, Switzerland
May 2 2005

Turkey has criticised a decision by canton Zurich’s justice authorities
to investigate a Turkish historian for allegedly denying the 1915
Armenian massacre.

The move comes shortly after relations between the two countries –
which had been dogged by the Armenian question – appeared to have
stabilised.

The row centres on comments made by Yusuf Halacoglu, the president
of the Turkish History Organisation, a year ago in Winterthur, in
canton Zurich.

During the talk, given at the invitation of the Turkish community,
the prominent historian is said to have denied that the killings of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians was genocide.

Armenians say around 1.8 million people were killed; Turkey disputes
this, putting the figure closer to 200,000.

Winterthur’s investigating magistrate is now reported to be
investigating Halacoglu over claims that he could have broken
anti-racism legislation.

Condemnation

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül told Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper
on Monday that the decision by the canton of Zurich and some European
parliaments to “forbid the rejection of the Armenian genocide” was a
“terrible mistake”.

Gül added that Zurich’s enquiry was also against the European
Agreement on Human Rights and that Europe was “trampling on its own
foundations” by stopping the freedom of expression.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it had summoned the
Swiss ambassador to Turkey, Walter Gyger, to explain the move. The
Turkish embassy in the Swiss capital, Bern, has also protested to
the Swiss government.

It added, however, that Bern and Ankara were “closely collaborating”
and that Switzerland had been cooperative over the matter.

But a spokesman for the Swiss Justice Ministry denied that there had
been a warrant issued for Halacoglu’s arrest via Interpol, as was
reported in some of the Turkish media.

Winterthur’s prosecuting magistrate Andrej Gnehm also said on Monday
that he had asked Interpol to provide him with some information about
the historian.

He added that he would like to interview Halacoglu, which could also
take the form of written replies, to decide whether to go further
with the investigation – still at its early stages.

Tensions

The row comes at a time when relations between the two countries
appeared to be calming down after a period that was marked by tensions
over the Armenian question.

First the canton of Vaud’s parliament voted to recognise the Armenian
genocide, leading to Ankara withdrawing an invitation for Swiss
Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey to visit Turkey in September 2003.

A similar vote on the Armenian matter by the House of Representatives
three months later drew fresh condemnation from Turkey.

Calmy-Rey finally made the trip to Ankara at the end of March this
year, which resulted in the two countries agreeing to disagree over
the Armenian issue.

And last month the way was cleared for Switzerland to begin selling
arms to Turkey for the first time since 1992 when it introduced tight
restrictions on exports to the country.

The Turkish government ended it embargo on Swiss arms on April 28,
one month after Switzerland lifted its boycott.

Key Facts

– Armenians say 1.8 million of their people were killed or deported
from 1915-18 by the Ottoman Empire. – Turkey disputes this, putting
the figure closer to 200,000. – The treaty marking the birth of
modern Turkey was signed in Lausanne on July 24, 1923.

Photo: A giant poster shows the faces of 90 survivors of the Armenian
killings of 1915 (Keystone Archive)

–Boundary_(ID_Xa6lm1YR6oQHcvY/KQoQ8w)–