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TURKEY EXPECTS ECTHR TO UPHOLD PERINCEK RULING
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 4 2014
ISTANBUL - 04.06.2014 18:16:21
Turkey expects the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which
previously sustained an appeal by Turkish Workers' Party (İP)
Chairman Dogu Perincek against a Swiss court's conviction of him,
under anti-racism legislation, for denying the so-called Armenian
genocide, to uphold its judgment when the ECtHR reviews the ruling.
"We are confident that the Grand Chamber will be guided exclusively
by legal considerations when hearing the case. One cannot imagine
an outcome different from the Chamber judgment of 17 December 2013
considering the jurisprudence of the ECtHR and the fundamental
principles of law," said a Foreign Ministry statement released on
Tuesday evening.
The statement came after the ECtHR accepted Switzerland's request
for a review of the ruling on Monday.
On Dec. 17, 2013, the European court ruled that the politician
had exercised his right to free speech. In 2008, Perincek, who was
convicted by a Swiss court for rejecting Armenian claims of genocide
at a conference he attended in Switzerland, appealed the ruling in
the ECtHR after his appeal failed in the Swiss federal court system,
arguing that his conviction was a violation of the free speech articles
of the ECHR. He also complained of violations of his right to a fair
trial after his lawyer was denied a Swiss visa.
During a conference in Switzerland in 2005, Perincek reportedly called
the Armenian claims of genocide an "international lie." The ECtHR
decision on the Perincek case set a precedent that it is a violation
of the freedom of expression to charge individuals with a crime for
expressing views that are different from an officially accepted one.
Turkey also claimed that Switzerland "brought the matter before the
Grand Chamber on entirely political motives."
"Thus, once again, this will be an adequate response against
initiatives attempting to politicize history and law, and will
strongly confirm that freedom of expression, which is the foundation
of democratic societies, is under protection," the ministry statement
said.
Turkey was a co-plaintiff in the case at the ECtHR regarding Perincek,
since Turkey's official position on the Armenian claims disagrees with
Switzerland's. Ankara categorically denies claims that the events of
1915 amount to genocide, arguing that both Turks and Armenians were
killed when Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World
War I in collaboration with the Russian army that was then invading
eastern Anatolia.
Ankara has recognized Armenia since the former Soviet republic
gained independence in 1991, but refuses to establish diplomatic ties
because of Armenian efforts to secure international condemnation of
the controversial World War I-era killings of Anatolian Armenians
as genocide.
(Cihan/Today's Zaman)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Turkey-expects-ECtHR-to-uphold-Perincek-ruling_7719-CHMTQ0NzcxOS8xMDA1
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 4 2014
ISTANBUL - 04.06.2014 18:16:21
Turkey expects the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which
previously sustained an appeal by Turkish Workers' Party (İP)
Chairman Dogu Perincek against a Swiss court's conviction of him,
under anti-racism legislation, for denying the so-called Armenian
genocide, to uphold its judgment when the ECtHR reviews the ruling.
"We are confident that the Grand Chamber will be guided exclusively
by legal considerations when hearing the case. One cannot imagine
an outcome different from the Chamber judgment of 17 December 2013
considering the jurisprudence of the ECtHR and the fundamental
principles of law," said a Foreign Ministry statement released on
Tuesday evening.
The statement came after the ECtHR accepted Switzerland's request
for a review of the ruling on Monday.
On Dec. 17, 2013, the European court ruled that the politician
had exercised his right to free speech. In 2008, Perincek, who was
convicted by a Swiss court for rejecting Armenian claims of genocide
at a conference he attended in Switzerland, appealed the ruling in
the ECtHR after his appeal failed in the Swiss federal court system,
arguing that his conviction was a violation of the free speech articles
of the ECHR. He also complained of violations of his right to a fair
trial after his lawyer was denied a Swiss visa.
During a conference in Switzerland in 2005, Perincek reportedly called
the Armenian claims of genocide an "international lie." The ECtHR
decision on the Perincek case set a precedent that it is a violation
of the freedom of expression to charge individuals with a crime for
expressing views that are different from an officially accepted one.
Turkey also claimed that Switzerland "brought the matter before the
Grand Chamber on entirely political motives."
"Thus, once again, this will be an adequate response against
initiatives attempting to politicize history and law, and will
strongly confirm that freedom of expression, which is the foundation
of democratic societies, is under protection," the ministry statement
said.
Turkey was a co-plaintiff in the case at the ECtHR regarding Perincek,
since Turkey's official position on the Armenian claims disagrees with
Switzerland's. Ankara categorically denies claims that the events of
1915 amount to genocide, arguing that both Turks and Armenians were
killed when Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World
War I in collaboration with the Russian army that was then invading
eastern Anatolia.
Ankara has recognized Armenia since the former Soviet republic
gained independence in 1991, but refuses to establish diplomatic ties
because of Armenian efforts to secure international condemnation of
the controversial World War I-era killings of Anatolian Armenians
as genocide.
(Cihan/Today's Zaman)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Turkey-expects-ECtHR-to-uphold-Perincek-ruling_7719-CHMTQ0NzcxOS8xMDA1