The Zurich public prosecutor’s office has launched an initial investigation into Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s European Union affairs minister, over alleged racist remarks.
The Swiss ambassador to Turkey discussed the matter with the foreign ministry in Ankara on Monday, as the Swiss foreign ministry told swissinfo.ch. Turkish officials had summoned him to complain about the investigation.
In late January, Bagis reportedly told journalists that there had been no Armenian genocide and that the Swiss authorities could come and arrest him if they wanted to. He was in Zurich for a concert at the time, having just attended the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Such comments are in violation of Switzerland’s anti-racism laws. The public prosecutor of canton Zurich is now looking into the matter to determine whether Bagis has indeed committed a criminal offence.
As Zurich authorities told the Swiss News Agency on Monday, it is still unclear exactly what Bagis said and whether he qualifies for diplomatic immunity.
The story was first published on Sunday in the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper. It has also made headlines in Turkey.
Turkey rejects historical findings that up 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were killed under the Ottoman empire nearly 100 years ago.
The historical interpretation of the deaths or deportations of between 800,000 and 1.8 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919 has caused tensions between Turkey and many European countries.
The killings have been recognised as genocide by the parliaments of several countries, including France, Russia and Italy.
The UN recognised it in 1985, two years after the European Parliament.
The Swiss House of Representatives followed suit in 2003.
The Swiss government does not officially speak of „genocide“, but of „mass deportation“ and „massacre“.