Swiss FM urges Armenian, Turkish historians to investigate Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - Swiss foreign minister has urged Turkish and Armenian historians to investigate 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire.

Micheline Calmy-Rey, who is also the president of the Swiss Confederation, told Turkish ambassadors in her keynote speech at Ambassadors Conference in Ankara that historians from both sides should investigate 1915 massacres.

“The historians would then contribute to discussions with their findings,” Calmy-Rey said.

She said Switzerland had mediated between Turkey and Armenia between 2007 and October 2009 to enable the two countries to establish diplomatic relations, open their borders and set up sub-committees to investigate 1915 massacres. The foreign minister said Switzerland's official mediation role ended when the protocols were signed in Zurich on October 10, 2009.

Calmy-Rey said Swiss penal code punished discourses and propaganda including racism, and the Swiss government had many times condemned 1915 massacres, Turkish media report.