TURKEY WELCOMES SWISS MEASURES AGAINST PKK
Nov 11 2008
Turkey
Turkey has appreciated recent measures taken by the Swiss government
against PKK, Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said on Monday.
After a meeting with Pascal Couchepin, President of the Swiss
Confederation, Gul told a joint press conference that Turkey was
sure that Switzerland would put these measures into practice in the
best way.
Gul also recalled that it was the first ever visit by a Swiss President
to Turkey and said that the two countries established diplomatic
relations 80 years ago.
"Relations between Turkey and Switzerland have become stronger
recently," Gul said. "I believe that relations will be better."
In his part, Swiss President Couchepin said that some undesirable
tensions occurred between Turkey and his country, but confidence and
friendship between the two countries helped overcome these problems.
Couchepin said Swiss government had taken several measures recently
and exerted efforts to stop activities of the terrorist organization
PKK in Switzerland.
Asked about a Swiss law which makes it a crime to deny Armenian
allegations about the incidents of 1915, Couchepin said history
should be determined by historians. He said it should not be a tool
of politics.
Swiss president said that the law which was passed by the Swiss
parliament was a part of a reform wave, in that period of time,
against the Nazi genocide of the Jews.
In March 2007, a Turkish politician was found guilty of breaching
Swiss anti-racism laws by saying that the incidents of 1915 could
not be described as genocide.
Dogu Perincek, leader of the Turkish Workers’ Party, was ordered to
pay a fine of 3,000 Swiss francs (2,450 USD) and was given a suspended
penalty of 9,000 francs (7,360 USD).