Turkish ambassador to Sweden returns home in protest of genocide resolution

Turkish Ambassador to Sweden Zergun Koruturk returned to Turkey on Friday, noting that the resolution passed in Swedish parliament Thursday recognizing the Armenian genocide was groundless.

Local CNNTurk television quoted Koruturk, who arrived at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, as saying that it was not befitting of Sweden to pass such a resolution for the sake of its own elections.

The Turkish ambassador had been called back to Ankara for consultation shortly after the Swedish Parliament on Thursday approved a resolution on Armenian allegations regarding the 1915 incidents with 131 votes against 130.

Koruturk said the resolution "is groundless," adding that " Sweden is to hold elections in September. This resolution was brought up in 2008 but delayed until now. This is going on because of the election period."

She said Turkey and Sweden had enjoyed a perfect relations and Sweden had been the greatest supporter of Turkish membership in the European Union.

On March 4, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador to the United States following a U.S. congressional panel approved a resolution labeling the incidents of 1915 as "genocide."

Turkey strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks and Armenians.

Source: Xinhua