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ANKARA: Switzerland Confirms Opening Of A Legal Procedure AgainstHal

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  • ANKARA: Switzerland Confirms Opening Of A Legal Procedure AgainstHal

    Switzerland Confirms Opening Of A Legal Procedure Against Halacoglu

    Turkish Press
    April 3 2005

    ANKARA - Switzerland has confirmed opening of a legal procedure against
    Turkish Institute of History (TTK) Chairman Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu
    about his statement on allegations of so-called Armenian genocide.

    Releasing a statement on Monday, the Swiss Embassy in Ankara said,
    "it is true that a complaint against Prof. Halacoglu was deposited
    by a third party, but not by an official state prosecutor with the
    competent local legal authorities of Winterthur after Prof. Halacoglu
    has delivered there in spring of the last year a speech on the
    Armenian issue."

    "According to Swiss legal procedures, an investigation has to be
    opened after the deposition of any complaint to clarify the facts.
    This investigation against Prof. Halacoglu is still pending. In
    the context of this investigation, the local legal authorities of
    Winterthur have forwarded in a normal and ordinary procedure an
    information request regarding the personal data of Prof. Halacoglu
    via Interpol to the competent Turkish authorities," it said.

    The Swiss Embassy denied allegations that Prof. Halacoglu was
    condemned, formally accused or searched by the Swiss authorities.

    Noting that local legal authorities in Winterthur had not yet decided
    whether the complaint was acceptable or not, the Embassy said,
    "but they need further necessary information before they can take
    any decision in this case."

    "The Swiss government shares the opinion of the Turkish government that
    the alleged Armenian genocide should be investigated by historians. The
    Swiss government welcomes the proposal of the Turkish government that
    a joint commission by Turkish and Armenian historians is looking into
    this issue," the Embassy added.

    SO-CALLED GENOCIDE OVERSHADOWS TURKEY-SWITZERLAND RELATIONS

    Allegations of so-called Armenian genocide have overshadowed
    Turkey-Switzerland relations from time to time.

    The most important development affecting the relations negatively was
    approval of several resolutions by the Swiss authorities to recognize
    the so-called genocide.

    Tension escalated in bilateral relations after Vaud canton of
    Switzerland approved a resolution recognizing the so-called Armenian
    genocide on September 23rd, 2003 and after Swiss Foreign Minister
    Calmy-Rey delayed her scheduled visit to Ankara in October 2003.

    Ankara told Swiss authorities that postponement of Calmy-Rey's
    visit to Ankara would be appropriate. However, Calmy-Rey described
    Turkey's uneasiness as "exaggerated" and said that they conveyed
    their uneasiness to Turkish officials and the event would do nothing
    to ease the bilateral relations.

    Later, the Swiss parliament approved a resolution about the so-called
    genocide, and Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs harshly condemned it.

    In the meantime, the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper in Zurich claimed that
    a Turkish intelligence officer saw Calmy-Rey speaking to a supporter
    of the terrorist organization of PKK more than a minute during a
    reception, and Calmy-Rey's scheduled visit to Ankara was delayed
    after this development.

    Noting that the Turkish intelligence informed Swiss police on this
    brief conversation, the newspaper also advocated that the Turkey's note
    to Swiss police was later conveyed to Swiss President Pascal Couchepin.

    Swiss Chief Prosecutor's Office described those allegations of the
    newspaper as "amazing".

    Calmy-Rey paid a visit to Turkey in March.

    Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that tragic events in 1915
    could not be classified as genocide, and that the issue should be
    investigated by historians.

    Stressing that the resolutions, which were approved earlier, were
    not state policy of Switzerland, Swiss sources pointed out that the
    government could not have influence over parliament and cantonal
    administrations under federal system.
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