Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 20 2005
Zurich Prosecutor Started Investigation Against Perincek
LAUSANNE – Labor Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek gave evidence today
(Tuesday) to Lausanne Prosecutor regarding his statements about the
so-called Armenian genocide.
Perincek spoke to A.A. correspondent after his testimony in the
prosecutor’s office.
During interrogation, Perincek said the concept of genocide covered
under Swiss laws was irrelevant with the Turkish-Armenian problem.
Perincek said, ”I have told the prosecutor that such kind of
interrogations harmed friendship between Turkey and Switzerland,
which is a country of peace. I said allegations of so-called Armenian
genocide were unjust, and that this led to the humiliation of Turkish
nation in the international community. Those allegations also
contributed to the formation of a racist public opinion against
Turks.”
Perincek said the prosecutor stepped back during the interrogation
and said, ”we don’t have the authority to judge Turkish history. We
will not decide here whether Turks committed genocide. What we
examine is whether Perincek committed racism, discrimination and/or
humiliated peoples in his statements.”
-FOUR INVESTIGATIONS-
Meanwhile, Zurich Prosecutor’s Office started an investigation
following the press conference of Perincek in Zurich yesterday
(Monday).
At the conference, Perincek called on Swiss authorities to make a
serious investigation about the Armenian issue. He said it was unjust
to affirm that a nation ”committed genocide” without thoroughly
examining the events that had happened 90 years ago.
It was reported that investigations started by prosecutors of
Winterthur, Lausanne, Bern and Zurich would be combined in a single
file.
In July, Perincek was interrogated as he said that the so-called
Armenian genocide had never been happened. Lausanne Prosecutor called
on Perincek to come to his office on September 20th, to interrogate
him for a second time.
Perincek earlier had been detained in Winterthur city of Switzerland
as he said, ”Armenian genocide is nothing but an international lie”
at a news conference, but he was released after being interrogated.
A legal procedure was also opened in Switzerland against Prof. Dr.
Yusuf Halacoglu, the Chairman of the Turkish Historical Society,
because of his statement refuting the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations.