Tuzmen And Swiss Economy Minister Reciprocally Postpone Visits

Turkish Press
June 13 2005

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish State Minister Kursat Tuzmen and Swiss Economy
Minister Joseph Deiss postponed visits reciprocally because of the
investigation opened against Yusuf Halacoglu, the Chairman of Turkish
Institute of History, in Switzerland.

Diplomatic sources told A.A correspondent that Tuzmen’s visit to
Switzerland, scheduled for June 22nd and 24th, and his participation to
Turkish-Swiss Business Council meeting was postponed to an indefinite
date.

Deiss’s scheduled visit to Turkey, planned to take place at the
beginning of September, will not take place, either.

A legal procedure was opened in Switzerland against Halacoglu because
of his statement against the allegations of so-called Armenian
genocide.

The allegations of so-called Armenian genocide continue to be an
element overshadowing Turkish-Swiss relations from time to time.

The most important development affecting the relations negatively was
approval of several resolutions by the Swiss authorities to recognize
the so-called genocide.