Xinhua General News Service
March 12, 2010 Friday 11:55 AM EST

Turkish ambassador to Sweden returns home in protest of genocide resolution

ISTANBUL March 12

Turkish Ambassador to Sweden Zergun Koruturk returned to Turkey on
Friday, noting that the resolution passed in Swedish parliament
Thursday recognizing the Armenian genocide was groundless.

Local CNNTurk television quoted Koruturk, who arrived at Istanbul’s
Ataturk airport, as saying that it was not befitting of Sweden to pass
such a resolution for the sake of its own elections.

The Turkish ambassador had been called back to Ankara for consultation
shortly after the Swedish Parliament on Thursday approved a resolution
on Armenian allegations regarding the 1915 incidents with 131 votes
against 130.

Koruturk said the resolution "is groundless," adding that " Sweden is
to hold elections in September. This resolution was brought up in 2008
but delayed until now. This is going on because of the election
period."

She said Turkey and Sweden had enjoyed a perfect relations and Sweden
had been the greatest supporter of Turkish membership in the European
Union.

On March 4, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador to the United
States following a U.S. congressional panel approved a resolution
labeling the incidents of 1915 as "genocide."

Turkey strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the
events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks
and Armenians.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress