Swedish genocide vote provokes Turkey

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 12 (UPI) -- Turkey pulled its ambassador to Sweden after Swedish lawmakers narrowly approved a resolution describing the killing of Armenians in World War I as genocide.

The Turkish government condemned the resolution, saying it was "based on major errors and without foundation," the BBC reported Friday.

Sweden's ambassador to Turkey, Christer Asp, was called to the Turkish foreign ministry Friday morning after the Swedish parliament vote, Sweden's TT news agency reported.

Sweden's diplomats "will naturally express regret over the parliament's decision and present their own view on the issue," Asp told TT, noting the vote would affect Sweden's diplomatic and business relations with Turkey.

"There is naturally a risk for consequences even within trade relations. Naturally we shall work to try to ensure that this does not happen," Asp said.

The opposition resolution that passed by one vote after some members of parliament crossed party lines.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled next week's visit to Stockholm and issued a statement critical of the vote, the British broadcaster said.

"Our people and our government reject this decision based upon major errors and without foundation," said the statement.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt called the vote a "mistake," saying it didn't alter his government's support for Turkey's joining the European Union.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915 when they were deported from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire. Armenia says as many as 1.5 million Armenians were killed, but Turkey says the figure was much lower and that many Turks also died.

Armenia wants Turkey to recognize the killings as genocide, but Turkey has said there was no systematic attempt to wipe out the Christian Armenian people.