EuroNews, France
March 12 2010

Turkish anger at Swedish genocide vote

12/03 18:53 CET

There has been outrage in Turkey against Sweden after the country’s
parliament narrowly voted to describe as genocide the killing of
Armenians in the First World War. Turkish Labour Party supporters made
their anger known outside the Swedish consulate in Istanbul.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has cancelled a
planned visit to Stockholm next week in protest, attacked the vote at
a public meeting.

`This subject should be left to the historians,’ he said. Turkey
resents the term genocide, arguing that those who died were victims of
civil war. It’s recalled its ambassador to Sweden in protest.

`The fact that the issue is used as a threat by different countries,’
said the prime minister, `I find that unjust and incomprehensible.’

The Swedish parliament passed the resolution by just one vote, despite
opposition from the ruling centre-right coalition. Other government
representatives have sought to play down the row.

`The decision in the Swedish parliament will in no way affect the very
strong support that Swedish government has exerted with regards to the
ascension of turkey to the EU’, said Christer Asp, Swedend’s
ambassador in Istanbul.

The Swedish vote comes less than a week after a US congressional
committee narrowly approved a similar resolution ` a move which also
sparked anger from Turkey.