Swiss President: Armenian Genocide should be studied by historians, but its denial should be punished

PanARMENIAN.Net - The President of the Swiss Confederation has backed Turkey's calls for a study of the Armenian Genocide, saying the dispute over history should be settled by historians, not politicians.



Pascal Couchepin is on a visit to Turkey on occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Turkey. He had talks with President Abdullah Gul on Monday and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan on Tuesday.



To Turkey's dismay, the Swiss leader defended his country's laws penalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide during a news conference with Gul. He said the laws were passed 20 years ago with the principal purpose of punishing denial of the Holocaust and that the Swiss judges had the flexibility to interpret laws according to different circumstances, Today's Zaman reports.



The lower house of the Swiss Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in a 2003 vote, causing strain in bilateral relations with Turkey.



Last year, Dogu Perincek, a Turkish politician and the leader of the Workers' Party (IP), was charged of denial of the Armenian Genocide.