Der Schakal
19.04.05, 19:09
Swedish Parliament: "We Can’t Say there was Armenian genocide"
Swedes agree with Turks and confess that 2000 decision was a mistake
Serkan Demirtas, Cumhuriyet (Turkey), March 27, 2002 - Swedish Parliament has announced that its recognition of the "Armenian genocide" in the year 2000 on the basis of "United Nations resolutions" was a mistake since the U.N. has never recognized the "Armenian genocide."
The Swedish Parliament said it will not reach a decision on the alleged Armenian, Assyrian and Keldani "genocides" that were allegedly committed before 1948, and that such claims are better studied by historians. The Parliament has also admitted that it made a mistake back in 2000 by recognizing the "Armenian genocide" on the basis of United Nations resolutions, since the U.N. has never confirmed any such genocide. Swedish Parliament gave full support to the Turkish thesis that the terms of the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention cannot be projected back to events that took place before that year. However, the Parliament also noted that Turkey did not take the sufficient positive steps in human rights and is still far away from satisfying the "Copenhagen criteria."
Murad Artin, the leftist member of Swedish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission, submitted a proposal to the Commission, urging for the General Assembly to vote and recognize the Assyrian, Armenian, and Keldani "genocides" perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during First World War.
The Swedish Foreign Affairs Commission in a report it issued stated the following [translated by Turkish Times from the Turkish news story]:
-- There is no official Swedish position that characterizes the events that took place during the Ottoman Empire as a "genocide"...
-- The Commission while discussing the motion 1999/2000:U651 has referred to a 1985 U.N. resolution. Further research has revealed that there does not exist any U.N. resolutions that address the Armenians, neither in 1985 nor in any other time. The situation of the Assyrians and Keldanis are the same. Therefore the Commission should never have formulated the statements pertaining the "Armenian genocide" in those terms.
-- The Commission believes in the importance of discussing the massacres suffered by Armenians, Assyriand and Keldanis. For this purpose there needs to be open and unconditional historical research.
-- The status of human rights and democracy in Turkey today is not satisfactory. Turkey does not satisfy the "Copenhagen criteria" necessary to secure full membership [in the EU]. According to some observers, there are signs that human rights situation is deteriorating for some groups in Turkey
Das Schwedische Parlament hat seine Resolution wieder zurückgezogen...(...eben entdeckt...)
Swedes agree with Turks and confess that 2000 decision was a mistake
Serkan Demirtas, Cumhuriyet (Turkey), March 27, 2002 - Swedish Parliament has announced that its recognition of the "Armenian genocide" in the year 2000 on the basis of "United Nations resolutions" was a mistake since the U.N. has never recognized the "Armenian genocide."
The Swedish Parliament said it will not reach a decision on the alleged Armenian, Assyrian and Keldani "genocides" that were allegedly committed before 1948, and that such claims are better studied by historians. The Parliament has also admitted that it made a mistake back in 2000 by recognizing the "Armenian genocide" on the basis of United Nations resolutions, since the U.N. has never confirmed any such genocide. Swedish Parliament gave full support to the Turkish thesis that the terms of the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention cannot be projected back to events that took place before that year. However, the Parliament also noted that Turkey did not take the sufficient positive steps in human rights and is still far away from satisfying the "Copenhagen criteria."
Murad Artin, the leftist member of Swedish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission, submitted a proposal to the Commission, urging for the General Assembly to vote and recognize the Assyrian, Armenian, and Keldani "genocides" perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during First World War.
The Swedish Foreign Affairs Commission in a report it issued stated the following [translated by Turkish Times from the Turkish news story]:
-- There is no official Swedish position that characterizes the events that took place during the Ottoman Empire as a "genocide"...
-- The Commission while discussing the motion 1999/2000:U651 has referred to a 1985 U.N. resolution. Further research has revealed that there does not exist any U.N. resolutions that address the Armenians, neither in 1985 nor in any other time. The situation of the Assyrians and Keldanis are the same. Therefore the Commission should never have formulated the statements pertaining the "Armenian genocide" in those terms.
-- The Commission believes in the importance of discussing the massacres suffered by Armenians, Assyriand and Keldanis. For this purpose there needs to be open and unconditional historical research.
-- The status of human rights and democracy in Turkey today is not satisfactory. Turkey does not satisfy the "Copenhagen criteria" necessary to secure full membership [in the EU]. According to some observers, there are signs that human rights situation is deteriorating for some groups in Turkey
Das Schwedische Parlament hat seine Resolution wieder zurückgezogen...(...eben entdeckt...)