World War 4 Report, NY
March 8 2007
Armenian genocide denial on trial – in Switzerland
A disturbing consensus seems to be emerging in Europe that the best
reaction to genocide denial is to ban it. In addition to the many
European laws against denying the Nazi Holocaust, Bosnia is now
considering such a law for its own more recent genocide. And now
Switzerland is prosecuting a Turkish writer for denying the 1915
Armenian genocide. From the Turkish daily Hurriyet, March 8:
In Lausanne, Dogu Perincek goes on trail for denying Armenian
genocide claims
A delegation of 160 people, included former President of Northern
Cyprus, Rauf Denktas, has gone to Switzerland to show support for the
head of Turkey’s Workers’ Party, Dogu Perincek, who is on trial there
for publicly denying Armenian allegations of genocide.
Perincek, who is being tried in Lausanne, was joined in court by a
large group of academicians, historians, retired military officials,
and politicians from Turkey, who left Istanbul on a specially
chartered Turkish Airlines flight for Geneva. Speaking prior to
departure at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, Denktas told reporters
"Thousands of our Armenian siblings live here under good conditions.
Workers come from Armenia to make a living here, and do so. So
friendship between Turkey and Armenia is necessary on both sides. But
friendship cannot be based on lies and slander."
The general leader of the Turkish Workers’ Party, Dogu Perincek is on
trial in Switzerland for calling Armenian allegations of genocide in
Turkey "an imperialist lie" during a 2005 demonstration in Lausanne.
Reports say Perincek left Turkey for his trial in Lausanne carrying
90 kilos worth of Russian and Armenian documents with him.
Now which is more disturbing, the fact that Perincek is being
prosecuted, or that he is getting all this support from the Turkish
establishment? And what is with this "Turkish Workers’ Party"?
Answers.com indicates there was a party of this name 30 years ago
which was banned because of a supposed link to "Kurdish separatism."
Could this be the same or a related entity? Given the unfortunate
Kurdish-Armenian rivalry which the Turkish state has been able to
exploit to its advantage, it’s not impossible…