VAHAGN AVEDYAN: TURKEY’S REACTION TO DECISION OF SWEDISH PARLIAMENT IS PREDICTABLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2010 16:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s reaction to Swedish Parliament’s decision to
recognize the Genocides of Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks is
quite predictable, Vahagn Avedyan , head of the Armenian Association
of Sweden told PanARMENIAN.Net. According to him, Turkey reacts the
same way to decisions of all countries recognizing the Genocide.

"It’s a pity that Turkey is approaching the subject in such a way,"
Avedyan said, adding that acceptance of reality should not prevent
Armenian-Turkish normalization.

"The truth must be the basis for friendship. The denial of reality
cannot be called friendship," Vahagn Avedyan said.

According to him, the decision of the Swedish Parliament is a call to
the Swedish government to reflect the Genocide issue in the foreign
policy of the country.

Unlike 2008, when the Parliament discussed a similar resolution,
Swedish MPs were more aware of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Empire. ""None of MPs denied that the Ottoman Empire had committed
the genocide," the head of the Armenian Association of Sweden said.

On March 11 the Swedish Parliament recognized the Armenian genocide
(131 votes in favor and 130 against), as well as the genocides of
Assyrians and Pontic Greeks in the Ottoman Empire.