A similar vote last week by a US Congressional panel angered Turkey Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Sweden after the parliament voted narrowly to describe as genocide the killing of Armenians in World War I. The Turkish government condemned the resolution, saying it was "based upon major errors and without foundation". The Swedish government opposed the opposition resolution but it passed by one vote after some MPs voted against party lines. It comes days after a US congressional panel passed a similar resolution. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled a visit to Stockholm scheduled next week and issued a statement criticising the vote. "Our people and our government reject this decision based upon major errors and without foundation," said the statement. MASS KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks in 1915-6 Many historians and the Armenian people believe the killings amount to genocide Turks and some historians deny they were orchestrated More than 20 countries regard the massacres as genocide
Q&A: Armenian genocide dispute Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said the vote was a "mistake" but that it did not change the position of his government, which supports Turkey's entry into the EU. The Swedish vote comes less than a week after the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a similar resolution - by 23 votes to 22 - despite strong Turkish lobbying not to. That vote also sparked anger from Turkey and the recall of its ambassador to Washington. Historic argument Moves between Turkey and Armenia to normalise relations have faltered recently. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915, when they were deported en masse from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire. They were killed by troops or died from starvation and disease. Armenia says up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed, but Turkey says the figure is no more than one-third that and that many Turks died as well. Turkey accepts that atrocities were committed but argues they were part of the war and that there was no systematic attempt to destroy the Christian Armenian people. Armenia wants Turkey to recognise the killings as an act of genocide, but successive Turkish governments have refused to do so. Armenians have campaigned for the killings to be recognised internationally as genocide - and more than 20 countries have done so.
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Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Sweden after the Swedish Parliament voted to describe Turkey's killings of Armenians in World War I as "genocide".

The Swedish vote came despite the Swedish government's opposition to the resolution, as several parliament members crossed party lines in the vote, which passed the resolution by a vote of 131–130, with 88 parliament members absent.  The Swedish government called the vote a "mistake," but added that it will not influence their position on the matter.

The Turkish government released a statement saying, "our people and our government reject this decision based upon major errors and without foundation," and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan immediately cancelled a planned visit to Sweden. Despite the reaction, Turkey said that the moves did "not correspond to the close friendship of our two nations," and they were only recalling their ambassador for consultations.

The resolution is particularly sensitive given that Sweden has long been a strong supporter of Turkey and their bid to join the European Union, and Turkey has been for years maintaining that their actions in World War I against Armenians did not amount to genocide. Despite Turkey's claims, Armenians have been heavily campaigning for the killings, which they say number up to 1.5 million, to be recognized as genocide, and over twenty countries worldwide have done so.

Swedish Foreign Minister  said that the vote would likely have a significant effect on the fate of negotiations between Turkey and Armenia, which have been attempting to resume normal diplomatic relations. The Turkish ambassador that was recalled said that the vote would have "drastic effects" on the negotiations, and it would have an impact for some time.

The Swedish vote came not long after a similar vote by a US Congressional panel, which also approved a resolution with similar terminology, leading to the removal of Turkey's ambassador.  In that case, the US government has been trying to prevent the resolution from going further, in an attempt to limit the consequences of the vote.