Apologies to Ankara for genocide resolution cost much to Swedish PM

March 17, 2010 - 20:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Social Democratic Party of Sweden has sued the Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt for opposing the Armenian Genocide resolution adopted by the Riksdag. During a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Fredrik Reynfeldt said that adoption of this resolution by the Swedish Parliament made him upset.

He assured the Turkish Prime Minister that the resolution does not obligate the government of Sweden and has no legislative rule.

Social Democratic Party member Erik Ostberg subjected to criticism Fredrik Reinfeldt’s statement . “The apology to Erdogan contradicts to the adopted resolution and the laws of Sweden. Such behavior of the Swedish Prime Minister shows that the government is acting against the people's will. That is why we filed a lawsuit against Mr. Reinfeldt," he said.

On March 11, Swedish Parliament with a vote 131-130 recognized the Armenians, Assyrians/Syrians/Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.