Turkey summons Swiss envoy over genocide-denier’s detention

Anatolia news agency
27 Jul 05

Ankara, 27 July: Turkey has conveyed its uneasiness over Swiss
attitude against Labour Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek by inviting
Swiss Ambassador in Ankara Walter Gyger to the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA).

According to sources, MFA Deputy Undersecretary Nabi Sensoy has
conveyed Turkey’s disappointment over Perincek’s being taken into
custody by Swiss prosecutor under charges that Perincek refused to
recognize the so-called Armenian genocide.

During the meeting between Sensoy and Gyger, Sensoy reminded Gyger
that the events of 1915 were not a genocide. According to the
international treaty of 1948 on the prevention and punishment of
genocide, in order to name an incident genocide, certain conditions
must prevail and an international court decides on the matter. To this
day, there is no decision by an international court that 1915
witnessed a genocide.

Sensoy informed Gyger that the Swiss attitude would block freedom of
expression and such an attitude would hurt bilateral ties.

Perincek was detained after making the remark that “Armenian genocide
is an international lie” in a press conference held in Swiss city of
Winterthur on 23 July.