Artak Apitonian: Need for safety of Armenian citizens in Sweden
Ambassador of Armenia to Sweden, Artak Apitonian addressed the statements of Azerbaijani, Turkish and Turkmen communities in Sweden during the demonstration on April 9, in Sergels Torg square, Stockholm in his interview with Swedish “Dagen” newspaper, reports the press service of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.
The Ambassador expressed his concerns on the matter condemning any demonstration of incitement of racial hatred. He said that this type of hate rhetoric has been noticed earlier in Armenian history since the genocide in 1915.
“However this type of hate rhetoric is a new phenomenon that we see here in Sweden. There is a new development, which is very worrying. Here is a direct call to kill Armenians,” stated Apitonian.
The ambassador said that the Swedish authorities haven’t reacted on the situation since Monday, but he hopes that the government will make a statement.
“We really hope that the Swedish government will condemn the incident. I expect that Turkish organizations working in Sweden will also receive condemnation. We need an assurance that the Armenians who live in Sweden feel safe,” the ambassador said.
He also emphasized that the statements of Barbaros Leylani should not be seen as a collective opinion of the majority of Turks in Sweden, but of certain groups.
According to the ambassador the incident is linked both to the question of recognition of the genocide that Armenia seeks and the current escalation over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this respect, he said that Turkey has actively supported Azerbaijan.
“The question of recognition of the genocide is important, therefore the absence of recognition provides just this kind of hate propaganda,” the ambassador concluded.
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