ZURICH AND ANKARA DISCUSS ARMENIAN ISSUE THAT HAS UPSET BILATERAL RELATIONS

Turkish MPs met with Chairman of the Permanent Council of Foreign Political Commission of Switzerland (APK) Peter Briner in Bern, reported Blick online. In the course of the meeting the Armenian issue, which lead to differences in Swiss-Turkish relations, was discussed. The parties also discussed the criminal proceedings against Turkish historian Yusuf Halacoglu. Professor of philology Yusuf Halacoglu denied the fact of the Armenian Genocide in his report in Winterthur Swiss city on 2 May, 2004. The Winterthur Office of Public Prosecutor started investigation of the Halacoglu case on suspicion of racism. The case is now investigated in Zurich. After that a number of Turkish senior officials refused from meetings with Swiss officials. Specifically, Turkish Minister of Trade Kursat Tuzmen refused to meet with Minister of Economy Joseph Deiss in Switzerland. As of the Armenian Genocide, tension appeared between Switzerland and Turkey before due to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by Switzerland. Today the Turkish delegation is scheduled to meet with the Foreign Minister and Federal Councilor.