P LEADER STANDS TRIAL FOR DENYING ‘GENOCIDE’
E. BariÞ AltintaÞ
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 6 2007
The leader of the leftis neo-nationalist Turkish Workers’ Party (ÝP),
Doðu Perincek, will stand trial today in a Swiss court after he called
the alleged genocide of Armenians in 1915 an "international lie"
during Turkish rallies in the city of Lausanne two years ago.
The ÝP is convinced that the decision to come out of the case has
much significance for the "Armenian question" — whether the mass
deportation of Armenians at the hands of the Ottomans in 1915
constituted genocide. In a statement he made shortly before his
departure to Lausanne on Sunday, Perincek promised to bring back
"good news to our nation from Lausanne," at a press conference at
Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.
"Turkey will win this case," Perincek said, asserting his belief that
Swiss legislators were likely to abolish a law making it a criminal
offense to deny Armenian genocide claims.
Swiss Justice Minister Cristoph Blocher in a recent meeting with his
Turkish counterpart, Cemil Cicek, said the Swiss law, which refers to
"grossly minimizing or justifying genocide," should be changed.
Perincek is facing charges under that law.
"We will explain with documents that no genocide has ever taken place,"
ÝP Secretary-General Nusret Senem told Today’s Zaman on his way to
the airport shortly before taking off for Lausanne. "Our defense
statement is based on documented evidence; it explains that Perincek
was defending his country."
Senem strongly dismissed claims that Perincek’s genocide denial
had anything to do with racism. "We uphold values of revolutionary
thought. How can we possibly have any racist sentiments?" The ÝP
secretary-general expressed his certainty that they would fly back
to Turkey with a legal victory.
Turkey History Institute head (TTK) Yusuf Halacoðlu, who also faces
charges under the same Swiss law, also believes that the trial
has international significance. "At least it will show the rest
of the world whether it is the Turks or others who are two-faced,"
he explained to Today’s Zaman.
A law that considers not accepting genocide claims tantamount to
racism stands out as odd and hypocritical in a country that claims
to have an advanced democracy, Halacoðlu said.
According to former Ambassador and Foreign Minister Ýlter Turkmen,
the decision that will emerge from the court process is not likely
to have any relevance to the Armenian question for the international
community. "It’s a law of Switzerland. It is not binding for anyone
else."
Trial stirs up Switzerland
The trial has also sparked controversy in Switzerland, where Swiss
Justice Minister Blocher’s reportedly indicated his view that the
law Perincek is being tried under should be changed during a visit
to Turkey last weekend. However, a spokesperson from Livio Zanolari
later said the trial "was not a subject of discussion" between the
two ministers.
Incidentally, the meeting occurred just a day before Perincek flew
into Switzerland to stand trial. Monday’s newspapers in Switzerland
criticized the timing of the meeting for being "provocative".
Turkey fiercely rejects the label to describe the 1915 killing of
Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. However, the Swiss lower house
of parliament recognized the massacre as genocide in December 2003
and the issue has sporadically soured Turkish-Swiss relations.
–Boundary_(ID_O/nsMA2F8ZaN8VKgQhahrg) —
From: Baghdasarian