Turkey asks German to solve French–Turkish conflict

Turkey’s EU affairs minister repeated on Tuesday his denial that Ottoman Turks had committed genocide against Armenians nearly 100 years ago, in a challenge to Swiss officials who are investigating whether similar comments last month broke the law, the National Post reports.

Turkey's European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis told reporters last week during a visit to Zurich that the incidents in 1915 “did not amount to genocide,” adding “let them come arrest me.”

Those comments are illegal under Swiss anti-racism laws, which make it a crime to deny that the mass killings of Armenians by Turks nearly 100 years ago were genocide.

Swiss authorities have opened an investigation into the matter after complaints by a Swiss Armenian group, the Voice of America reports.

Bagis told reporters Tuesday that he is “very confident” that he cannot be arrested by Swiss authorities for making the comment. Bagis may have diplomatic immunity from prosecution, the source reports.