Swissinfo, Switzerland
July 27 2005

Swiss-Turkish relations hit a new low

Turkey should recognise the Armenian genocide and stop blackmailing
Switzerland, says Swiss parliamentarian Erwin Jutzet.

Meanwhile, the Swiss ambassador in Ankara has had to defend himself
against a barrage of criticism concerning the Swiss investigation of
a Turkish politician.

“Turkey has to stop reacting so sensitively to such events,” Jutzet,
the president of the House of Representatives’ foreign office
commission, told the TagesAnzeiger newspaper on Wednesday.

“It would do better to recognise once and for all the genocide of the
Armenians.”

On Tuesday Turkey presented a protest note to the Swiss ambassador in
Ankara and the Swiss foreign ministry in Bern. The note concerned the
investigation of a Turkish politician on suspicion of violating Swiss
anti-racism laws.

Doðu Perinçek, leader of Turkey’s Workers’ Party, has twice denied
that the killings of Armenians around the time of the First World War
amounted to genocide. He is the subject of two criminal
investigations.

Jutzet said it was up to Turkey to make a move “instead of always
taking offence and resorting to blackmail”.

He added that the constant denial of genocide could have
ramifications for Turkey’s much sought-after entry into the European
Union.

“If Switzerland were to turn its back on Turkey, it would be a bad
sign for EU entry,” he said.

Ambassadors

On Wednesday the Swiss ambassador in Ankara, Walter Gyger, was told
in no uncertain terms about Turkey’s dissatisfaction concerning the
Perinçek investigation.

Gyger countered by pointing to Switzerland’s anti-racism laws and the
strict separation of judicial and political powers.

Under Swiss law any act of denying, belittling or justifying genocide
is a violation of the country’s anti-racism laws.

The Turkish ambassador in Bern, Alev Kiliç, was due to meet the
relevant representatives from the Swiss foreign ministry on Thursday.

Questioning

The public prosecutor of Winterthur questioned Perinçek on Saturday
for more than two hours after a news conference he gave on Friday in
Glattbrugg, near Zurich.

In the speech honouring the 82nd anniversary of the Treaty of
Lausanne, which fixed the borders of modern-day Turkey, Perinçek
called claims of genocide against the Armenians an imperialist lie,
authorities said.

Turkey’s foreign minister, Abdullah Gül, described Saturday’s
questioning as “unacceptable” and “absolutely contrary to the
principle of free speech”.

“Do these actions suit a country like Switzerland?” he asked.

On Sunday, Perinçek repeated his denial of the Armenian genocide at
celebrations attended by about 2,000 Turks near the Beau-Rivage
hotel, scene of the treaty negotiations.

The House of Representatives has recognised as genocide the expulsion
and massacre of more than a million Armenians, but the government has
not.