By Shahan Kandaharian

Lebanon (Aztag Daily) - The criticism of the prominent Swiss newspaper against its government is characteristic. The “Neo Zuricher Zeitung” newspaper criticizes the country’s foreign ministry, for mediating between Armenia and Turkey in the process of normalization of their ties as well as signing of the protocols. The main issue of the criticism is Turkish denialist policy. In other words, official Bern shouldn’t have mediated such a process as long as Turkey doesn’t recognize the Armenian Genocide.

We’re not talking of a casual phenomenon here where a media representative would criticize Turkey for its denial of history. First of all, we’re talking about the most popular newspaper in a given country. Second, we’re talking about Switzerland; a country that has been given a mediatory role by geopolitical powers for a long time now. It’s true that the criticism didn’t come from a government official, however, after all we’re talking about a major contradiction between the state and the public opinion.

It shouldn’t be surprising to state that by taking up this mediatory role Switzerland also manifested intra-state contradictions. And the rationale is this: We all know that the then president of the Turkish Historians’ Union Yousouf Haladjoghlu and after him historian Doghou Perincek were taken to court one after the other for denying the fact of Genocide based on Swiss Criminal Law. The judicial odessy is familiar to our readers.

Let’s continue the attempt of developing the rationale. The same Switzerland was mediating secret talks between the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministry delegates which was developing in rounds. Most probably during those secret talks the Turkish delegates must have denied the Armenian Genocide several times.

The question about the contradiction doesn’t end here though. According to media reports, on the day of the signing of the protocols it was decided for the two ministers to address the reporters. The written address of the Turkish foreign minister included a section which to say the least doubted the Armenian Genocide and which even if not presented, nevertheless was read and examined not so far from the spotlights and the reporters’ cameras. In other words, a Swiss law-countering step was taken in the courts of University of Zurich.

Still, the historic subcommittee mentioned in the Protocols opens doors for Turkey to assure the examination of the facts of the Genocide. The examination itself is the indirect denial of the truth; a unique way of denial. So, there goes the third explicit violation of Swiss Law.

The issue, therefore, isn’t about state-public opinion contradiction, but the screaming contradiction between Swiss judicial and political sectors seen in the mediation of the for normalizing the Armenian-Turkish relations. And that was seen in three occasions; too many occasions.

This issue has no relation with the success or collapse of the process. The Swiss foreign affairs high directorate must give an explanation to the official judicial sector about the violations committed until now if it’s really true that in countries like Switzerland the judicial sector is independent of the political sector.

Shahan Kandaharian is the Editor-in-Chief of the Beirut-based Aztag Daily Newspaper