ANKARA RECALLS AMBASSADOR AFTER SWEDEN "GENOCIDE" VOTE
Monsters and Critics.com
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March 12 2010
Istanbul – Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Stockholm after the
Swedish parliament late Thursday adopted a resolution that stated the
World War I-era killings of more than 1 million Armenians and other
minorities by the Ottomans was a genocide.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cancelled a planned
visit to Sweden in response to the vote.
‘The Turkish government rejects this decision as lacking basis. It
is obvious that the decision was made taking into consideration some
political interests for the elections that would take place in Sweden
in September 2010,’ Erdogan said in a statement.
‘The resolution does not correspond to the close friendship of our
two nations,’ Erdogan said.
The resolution passed by a single vote after several members of
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt’s ruling centre-right coalition
broke ranks and voted with the red-green opposition.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told Swedish radio news that he
regretted the decision, saying he feared it could ‘be used’ by reform
critics in Turkey.
Turkey earlier this month recalled its ambassador to Washington over a
genocide resolution vote in a US House of Representatives committee,
even as it is unlikely the bill will make it to a full vote in the
chamber.
Last year, Turkey also recalled its ambassador to Canada after Prime
Minister Stephen Harper referred to a genocide.
Turkey has rejected the genocide claim, saying the number of Armenians
killed was much lower and that the deaths were the result of violent
turbulence that also affected other groups at the time.
Armenia and Turkey are currently engaged in a process that aims to
restore their diplomatic relations. Ankara has warned that efforts
to tar it with the genocide claim could further damage the already
troubled reconciliation process with Yerevan.