ANKARA RECALLS ITS AMBASSADOR FROM SWEDEN. STILL PROBLEMS OVER THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Spero News
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March 12 2010
As already the case with the United States and Canada. Erdogan cancels
a trip to Stockholm. The Armenian diaspora against diplomatic relations
between Armenia and Turkey.
Ankara (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Turkey has recalled its ambassador
from Sweden, after the Stockholm parliament voted by a narrow margin
a resolution on the Armenian genocide. The Turkish government has
denounced the resolution as "based on blunders and without any
foundation". Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemned the
action as "motivated by political calculations" and canceled a meeting
between Turkey and Sweden to be held on 17 March.
Sweden is one of the strongest advocates of Ankara’s entry into the
EU. The resolution was passed by 131 votes to 130, with the votes of
the opposition and that of some MPs of the ruling party.
Carl Bild, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the vote was
"a mistake" and that does not change the position of his government,
which remains in favour of Turkey in Europe.
A week ago a similar incident occurred in the United States, where
the congressional committee passed a similar motion on the Armenian
genocide and Turkey also recalled its ambassador from Washington. Last
year, a similar incident happened with Canada. At the end of the
Ottoman Empire (1915-17), hundreds of thousands of Armenians were
killed as they were deported from eastern Anatolia. Many also died
of starvation.
Many historians and the Armenian people consider it as a planned
genocide. According to other historians and Turkey, the killing of
Armenians is just one of many cases of violence that occurred during
the war. According to the Armenian, the genocide claimed the lives
of 1.5 million people, according to Turkey the dead were probably 50
thousand, with many Turks.
Recently, Armenia and Turkey have prepared for a restart in diplomatic
relations, but the Armenian Diaspora is strongly opposed to it until
Ankara fully recognises the genocide.