REUTERS: Sweden approves resolution on "Armenian genocide"

STOCKHOLM, March 11 (Reuters) - Swedish parliament approved on Thursday a resolution that brands the killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces during World War One as genocide.

A U.S. House of Representatives committee approved last week a nonbinding measure condemning killings that took place nearly 100 years ago, in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey was infuriated and recalled its ambassador after the announcement.

Swedish television programme Aktuellt reported that the Turkish ambassador in Stockholm would be recalled to Ankara.

The issue of the Armenian massacres is deeply sensitive in Turkey. Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks but vehemently denies that up to 1.5 million died and that it amounted to genocide -- a term employed by many Western historians and some foreign parliaments.

reuters

Swedish parliament recognizes genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Empire

STOCKHOLM, March 11 (Itar-Tass) – Swedish parliament has adopted a resolution that recognizes the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

The resolution was put up for voting Thursday morning and its discussion continued until almost the end of the workday.

The draft was submitted by opposition forces – the Left Party, the Green Party, the Social Democratic Workers’ Party and several MPs from the Liberal People’s Party and the Christian Democratic Party.

The resolution was endorsed by a slight majority of votes. It recognizes the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, 250,000 to 500,000 Assyrians and about 350,000 Pontic Greeks in the last phase of Turkey’s imperial history.

The opponents of recognition of the genocide came up with explanations for their position.

One of them, Gustav Blix of the Moderate Coalition Party, told Radio Sweden that it is not politicians that should write history.

He indicated that decisions on such knotty issues should be taken by international law agencies.

Blix fears the recognition of genocide may hamper the incipient process of rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey.

The radio recalled in this connection that a Turkish parliamentary delegation, which made a visit to Sweden a short while ago, warned the recognition of genocide might do a serious blow to Swedish-Turkish relations.

itar-tass.com