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MEDIATOR HOPEFUL ON ARMENIA THAW
Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 28 2011
Turkey
Turkish-Armenian dialogue is currently in a deadlock but there is
still hope of reviving the Zurich protocols signed between the two
countries, according to Swiss Confederation President Micheline
Calmy-Rey, who mediated the talks
Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss Confederation president who led the
mediation between Turkey and Armenia two years ago, said protocols
between the two countries appear to be in deadlock but there is hope
to continue if there is a will.
Calmy-Rey visited Turkey recently and told daily Hurriyet in an
exclusive interview that "the best thing to solve these issues is
dialogue." Calmy-Rey, also the Swiss foreign minister, said there
was still hope the protocols could be ratified.
"The Zurich protocols are still there. If there is a common will,
then the dialogue can continue on these protocols," she added.
After France accepted a bill penalizing the denial of Armenian genocide
allegations, Ankara was criticized for welcoming the president of
Switzerland, a country with a similar law.
"Now I am very surprised to hear public reaction today. It is not
correct. It does not reflect our position," Calmy-Rey said.
There is no Swiss 'Armenian genocide' law: president
Switzerland does not have a law that would recognize the killings
of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, said Calmy-Rey, adding that their
stance is different than that of France.
"It is the respected courts that decide on the basis of Article 261,
which punishes acts of openly xenophobic character," Calmy-Rey told
daily Hurriyet in an exclusive interview. "It is up to the courts to
say whether that action contains racism or entails discrimination. We
do not talk about genocide at all in the criminal code. It is a
general formulation."
Responding to a question on Turkish politician Dogu Perincek's
conviction in Switzerland for denying Armenian genocide claims in 2005,
she said it was up to the respective court to decide criminal cases and
Perincek was jailed in Turkey [from another conviction] at the moment.
Calmy-Rey said historians should do additional research to provide
findings for an open debate on the issue in Armenia and in Turkey.
She said Switzerland's national council Dec. 23 rejected petitions
asking to recognize the acts perpetrated in 1915 against the Syriac,
Chaldean, Armenian and Greek populations as "genocide."
Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 28 2011
Turkey
Turkish-Armenian dialogue is currently in a deadlock but there is
still hope of reviving the Zurich protocols signed between the two
countries, according to Swiss Confederation President Micheline
Calmy-Rey, who mediated the talks
Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss Confederation president who led the
mediation between Turkey and Armenia two years ago, said protocols
between the two countries appear to be in deadlock but there is hope
to continue if there is a will.
Calmy-Rey visited Turkey recently and told daily Hurriyet in an
exclusive interview that "the best thing to solve these issues is
dialogue." Calmy-Rey, also the Swiss foreign minister, said there
was still hope the protocols could be ratified.
"The Zurich protocols are still there. If there is a common will,
then the dialogue can continue on these protocols," she added.
After France accepted a bill penalizing the denial of Armenian genocide
allegations, Ankara was criticized for welcoming the president of
Switzerland, a country with a similar law.
"Now I am very surprised to hear public reaction today. It is not
correct. It does not reflect our position," Calmy-Rey said.
There is no Swiss 'Armenian genocide' law: president
Switzerland does not have a law that would recognize the killings
of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, said Calmy-Rey, adding that their
stance is different than that of France.
"It is the respected courts that decide on the basis of Article 261,
which punishes acts of openly xenophobic character," Calmy-Rey told
daily Hurriyet in an exclusive interview. "It is up to the courts to
say whether that action contains racism or entails discrimination. We
do not talk about genocide at all in the criminal code. It is a
general formulation."
Responding to a question on Turkish politician Dogu Perincek's
conviction in Switzerland for denying Armenian genocide claims in 2005,
she said it was up to the respective court to decide criminal cases and
Perincek was jailed in Turkey [from another conviction] at the moment.
Calmy-Rey said historians should do additional research to provide
findings for an open debate on the issue in Armenia and in Turkey.
She said Switzerland's national council Dec. 23 rejected petitions
asking to recognize the acts perpetrated in 1915 against the Syriac,
Chaldean, Armenian and Greek populations as "genocide."