Turkish Press
Aug 8 2005

Press Review

AKSAM

SWISS SENATE: `DEBATING GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS ISN’T OUR JOB’

The Swiss Senate decided over the weekend not to debate the so-called
Armenian genocide issue. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted
against considering the issue in the full Senate, saying that the
issue should instead be discussed between Turkey and Armenia. Peter
Briner, head of the committee, said that the third countries should
not point the finger at Turkey 90 years after the events. Briner also
said that Turkey has to look into the Armenian issue if it wants to
join the European Union, though Switzerland itself is not a member of
the bloc. Under Swiss law, denying any genocide is a crime. Ankara
recently criticized the Swiss canton of Vaud for recognizing the
so-called genocide and cancelled a planned visit by Swiss Foreign
Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey. /Aksam/