SWEDISH PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE
Seyfo Center
Assyria Times
ews/article.php?storyid=3408
March 12 2010
The Swedish parliament is the first in the world to acknowledge
the Turkish genocide of Assyrians. The historical decision was taken
after a long debate in the parliament on Thursday. It was an extremely
narrow win as 131 parliamentarians voted for and 130 voted against.
Hundreds of Assyrians had gathered outside and inside the parliament
building in central Stockholm to witness the historical decision.
The Turkish embassador to Sweden was immediately ordered to leave the
country and Turkish prime minister Erdogan announced the cancellation
of his planned visit to Sweden the coming week.
Sweden’s pro-Turkish foreign minister, Carl Bildt was very upset by
the decision of the parliament and warned it will harm Swedish-Turkish
relations and Turkish-Armenian relations as the resolution called
for the recognition of not only the Turkish genocide on Assyrians
but also the genocides on Armenians and Pontic Greeks.
The Assyrians in Sweden have been lobbying their parliament for many
years to recognize Seyfo, as the genocide is called in Assyrian. On
Thursday they could finally celebrate their victory.