SWEDISH PM WELCOMES TURKEY ENVOY RETURN AFTER ARMENIA ISSUE

April 1 2010
Turkey

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt welcomed return of Turkish
Ambassadress to Sweden Zergun Koruturk.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt welcomed return of Turkish
Ambassadress to Sweden Zergun Koruturk.

According to the Swedish newspapers, Prime Minister Reinfeldt said
that it was a good step to keep Turkey-Sweden relations vigorous. He
also highlighted importance of the bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Reinfeldt extended Sweden’s support to Turkey’s
membership to the European Union.

Meanwhile, Koruturk said in an interview with the Swedish news agency
TT that the Turkish government welcomed attitude of both Swedish
Prime Minister Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt following
approval of the resolution about Armenian allegations.

"The Turkish government and I do not have any doubts that there would
be no changes in the foreign policy of the Swedish government. Prime
Minister Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Bildt said in their statements
that it was the government, not the parliament which shapes Sweden’s
foreign policy," he added.

Turkey’s diplomat returned to Sweden on Tuesday after being recalled
to Ankara for consultations on the decision of the Swedish parliament
to adopt a resolution on the incidents of 1915. Swedish Parliament
approved the resolution on March 11. The resolution was approved
with 131 votes against 130. Turkey strongly rejects the genocide
allegations and regards the events as civil strife in wartime which
claimed lives of many Turks and Armenians.