No power can arrest a Turkish minister, says Bağış

Hürriyet

AA Photo

Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış has declared a Swiss probe into his denial of Armenian genocide claims to be "null and void" for him, daily Hürriyet reported today. 

"I know of no power that could arrest a Turkish minister," Bağış said. "If need be, I'll go back to Davos and say it again." 

Bağış had previously refused to comment on the matter but nevertheless answered reporters’ questions at the airport ahead of a scheduled visit to Belgium.

"Obviously this is at the initial probe stage right now. There isn't any official documentation on it that has reached me yet. We have fought for the freedom of speech, we are fighting for it, and we will fight for it," Bağış said.

"I hear they're trying to confirm whether or not I said those words," Bağış said. "Let them waste no time. I said it, and I repeat it today. I will repeat it again when I'm asked in future visits to Switzerland."

Zurich’s public prosecutor launched a preliminary inquiry into Bağış after he said “there is no Armenian genocide. Let them arrest me,” following a French reporter’s question last week in Switzerland.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Bern’s ambassador to Turkey yesterday in response to the probe.