Turkey welcomes European court's ruling granting right to deny 'genocide'

Welcoming a ruling by the top European court of human rights, which said Switzerland had violated a Turkish politician?s right to freedom of speech by convicting him for denying the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 amounted to genocide, Turkey has called the ruling ?an important turning point, as it provides a reply to the exploitation of history and law for political motives.?

?Turkey, having intervened as a third party from the beginning to the case, welcomes its conclusion in line with its views,? the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released late on Oct. 15, referring to the European Court of Human Rights? ruling delivered earlier in the day.

Do?u Perinçek, the leader of Turkey?s Vatan Party (VP), was convicted in a Swiss court after speaking at several public events in Switzerland in 2005 and his appeals were rejected. He filed a case at the European court in June 2008. 

?Based on the principles of democracy and law, we deem the judgment as a very strong signal against all efforts imposing the ?genocide? allegation as the only and absolute truth along with attempts and practices which even forbid questioning it,? the Foreign Ministry said. 

?The judgment has registered the fact that parliaments and leaders are not competent to rewrite history by going beyond their powers. It also acknowledges that courts could not adjudicate on history by disregarding the relevant judicial norms. The judgment will establish a precedent for similar cases as a significant source of European human rights jurisprudence. The judgment also sets an important turning point as it provides a reply to the exploitation of history and law for political motives,? it said.

?The judgment constitutes a significant...