TURKEY RECALLS AMBASSADOR AFTER SWEDEN LABELS ARMENIAN MASSACRE ‘GENOCIDE’

Deutsche Welle
,,5345756,00.h tml
March 12 2010
Germany

GroÃ~_ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Turkey was
already angry with the US over a committee vote Turkey has recalled
its ambassador and cancelled an upcoming bilateral summit after the
Swedish parliament adopted a resolution calling the slaughter of more
than a million Armenians by the Ottomans an act of genocide.

Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Sweden and cancelled the visit
of its prime minister in response to a Swedish parliamentary resolution
stating that the World War I massacre of more than a million Armenians
and other minorities by the Ottomans was genocide.

The developments come a week after Ankara called home its ambassador
to the United States because a congressional committee approved a
similar resolution.

Bildunterschrift: GroÃ~_ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
Armenians say as many as 1.5 million people were killed Regret over
decision

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who reaffirmed his support
for Turkey to enter the European Union, said that he regretted the
decision after members of the ruling center-right coalition voted with
the red-green opposition. The resolution was passed by just one vote,
with 131 delegates in favor.

"We think it is a mistake to politicize history," Bildt wrote in a
blog from Copenhagen, where he is attending a summit of Nordic leaders.

Bildunterschrift: GroÃ~_ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
Sweden has backed Turkey in its bid to join the EU Armenians claim that
as many as 1.5 million of their people were massacred during the war
in a planned extermination campaign by their Ottoman rulers in Turkey.

‘Battle for independence’

Turkey contests the accusations of genocide, arguing that up to 500,000
Armenians died when they sided with invading Russian forces in a bid
for independence. Ankara claims that at least as many Turks died in
the carnage.

"We strongly condemn this resolution, which is made for political
calculations," Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in a
statement that confirmed the cancellation of the Turkey-Sweden summit.

"It does not correspond to the close friendship of our two nations,"
said Erdogan. "We are recalling our ambassador for consultations."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress