EN
1 October 2003 - 15:29 AMT

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION ISSUE TENSED TURKISH-SWISS RELATIONS

Turkish leadership announced Swiss foreign minister Mishlen Calmi-Rei’s coming visit to Ankara undesirable. As the Swiss ambassador was told in the Turkish MFA, it is connected with the recent decision by the Swiss canton of Vaud on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As reported by Mediamax agency, the response note of the Swiss party says that Geneva is surprised and discontent with the position Ankara adheres to. The Swiss leadership stated that the present decision taken by Turkey will make the continuation of the dialogue between the two countries “if not impossible, but very complicated”. To remind, the canton of Vaud became the second district after Geneva to have recognized the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey.