‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS A GREAT INTERNATIONAL LIE’

Azg/arm
27 July 05

Perincek Arrested in Switzerland for This Statement

July 24 marked 82 years of the Lausanne Treaty, which recognized
modern Turkey’s territorial wholeness and independence by legalizing
national wars waged by Kemal Ataturk. This anniversary was celebrated
in Turkey and Switzerland with special bustle. Interestingly, the
arrangements on this occasion were organized by oppositional
Republican People’s Party and Democratic Left Party of Turkey and
Workers’ Party of Switzerland.

Turkish Public Television saw the reason of the celebration in the
recent fact of casting doubt on the Lausanne Treaty The pro-government
Yeni Safak newspaper labeled the arrangements a provocative act
against Justice and Prosperity Party from forces fighting for purity
of Kemalic principles, pointing out meanwhile that the celebration
turned into demonstration of power.

The Lausanne-2005 arrangements in Winterthur and Lausanne on July
23-24 pulled in not only members of the Workers Party, Kemalist-Minded
Union and Turks of Europe but also a group of 200 scientists and
public figures from Turkey including the former president of “Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus”, Rauf Denktas. They rallied in Lausanne
chanting “Long Live Independent Turkey”, “Down With American
Imperialism” that slipped smoothly into crosswords.

Hurriyet newspaper informs that the president of Turkish History
Foundation, Yusuf Halacoglu, also expressed willingness to take part
in the arrangements but stood back after Swiss authorities’ decision
to detain him. He is wanted by the Swiss police for rejecting the
Armenian Genocide. “Armenian genocide is a great international lie”,
chairman of the Workers’ Party Dogu Perincek backed Halacoglu on May
7.

On July 23, when Perincek was repeating this statement in Winterthur,
law-enforcers sanctioned by the prosecutor of the town arrested him in
the hall and bundled off to the Prosecutor’s Office. Interrogation
lasted 3.5 hours. Perincek was released after the Turkish Foreign
Ministry interfered.

Foreign minister Abdullah Gul condemned arrests of leaders of Turkish
political parties and said answering Hurriyet’s question, “Having
learned about the arrest of Perincek, we interfered
immediately. Turkish consul-general to Zurich, Mehmed Emre, witnessed
his interrogation. I was informing PM Erdogan all night through. Such
an approach to Turkish party leaders is unacceptable”.

By Hakob Chakrian