RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY SWEDEN IS REGULAR STRIKE FOR ANKARA

ArmInfo
2010-03-12 12:27:00

ArmInfo. The process of international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide acquired new breath over the last several days. Following
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of US Congress and the Spanish
province of Barcelona, the fact of the Armenian Genocide was recognized
by one of the biggest European countries, Sweden. Adoption of the
relevant resolution by Riksdag has become a regular strike for Ankara
and caused its violent indignation.

As Swedish The Local reports, Turkey immediately elected to recall its
ambassador to Sweden, Zergun Koruturk, who said she was "very, very
disappointed" by the vote. "I’m disappointed and somewhat surprised
because I expected the parliament to adopt the normal position that
it is not the job of parliamentarians to decide whether or not a
genocide has taken place. That is a question for historians, and for
researchers to examine before reaching a conclusion", the Turkish
ambassador said. Zergun Koruturk added that Sweden and Turkey had
enjoyed excellent relations over the last decade but that this was now
certain to change. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also
condemned this decision and said in a statement on his homepage on
Thursday that he was cancelling a planned trip to Sweden on March 17.

Sweden’s ambassador to Turkey, Christer Asp, has been summoned to
the Turkish foreign ministry on Friday morning after the Swedish
parliament voted to recognize the 1915 mass killing of Armenians and
other ethnic groups as genocide.

Speaking to The Local prior to the vote, Left Party foreign policy
spokesperson Hans Linde expressed his view that the time had come for
Sweden to take a stand on the issue. "Firstly, to hinder any repeat
and to learn from history. Secondly, to encourage the development of
democracy in Turkey – which includes dealing with their own history.

Thirdly, to redress the wrongs committed against the victims and
their descendants," Linde said.

To note, The Foreign Relations Committee of the Swedish parliament
recommended not to adopt such a resolution. Sweidh Foreign Minister
Carl Bildt held a similar stance: he expressed his consent with the
Committee’s decision and called on not to politicize the history.

To recall, the Swedish Riksdag adopted the Resolution on recognition
of the Armenian Genocide with 131 parliamentarians "for" and 130 –
against.