ANKARA: Swiss minister may not travel to Turkey

Swiss minister may not travel to Turkey

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Aug 2 2005

Source: Hurriyet

A Swiss newspaper reported on Sunday that Turkey may block the visit
of Switzerland's economics minister. This is the latest episode in
a long running diplomatic dispute between the two countries. The
Turkish ambassador to Switzerland, Alev Kilic, told the Swiss daily
NZZ Sonntag that he couldn't completely rule out the cancellation of
Joseph Deiss' planned September trip.

The long-running dispute is due to the Swiss government - along
with others in Europe - accusing Turkey of committing a genocide
of Armenians around the time of World War I, a claim that Turkey
emphatically denies, but is however ready to investigate by forming
a joint panel of world renown historians. Ankara has clearly stated
that Turkey would be happy to work with Yereven over the issue.

The last scuffle between the Swiss and Turkish governments was less
than two weeks ago, when visiting Turkish politician, Dogu Perincek,
was detained for stating that the genocide hadn't happened. Under
anti-racism laws in Switzerland, denying genocide is a crime.

Kilic told the daily NZZ Sonntag, "The investigation was an attempt
to squelch free speech and sent a clear message to Turks living in
Switzerland to keep their mouth shut."

This is not the first of such incidents to have happened this year.

Earlier in June 2005, a Turkish cabinet minister postponed a visit
to Switzerland to protest an investigation of a Turkish historian
who denied the accusations of genocide.