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Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
TURKEY UNDER MEDIA SCRUTINY FOR
ATTACKS ON U.S. GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
-- Major Story in Vanity Fair, Report by
Public Citizen Allege Unethical Conduct
by the Turkish Government and its Allies
WASHINGTON, DC - A major news magazine and a leading citizens'
group this week focused public attention on the unethical conduct of
powerful opponents of legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Vanity Fair, in its September issue, published a 10-page story on
FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, who was fired after "she accused a
colleague of covering up illicit activity involving Turkish nationals."
According to the article by contributing editor David Rose, Edmonds
claims FBI wiretaps reveal that the Turkish government and its
allies boasted of bribing - with as much as $500,000 - the Speaker
of the House of Representatives as part of an alleged deal to stop
consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
The article cites accounts by Edmonds regarding FBI wiretaps of
the Turkish Embassy and Turkish groups such as the American Turkish
Council (ATC) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA),
including, "repeated references to Hastert's flip-flop in the fall of
2000, over an issue which remains of intense concern to the Turkish
government, the continuing campaign to have Congress designate the
killings of Armenians in Turkey between 1915 and 1923 a genocide."
Rose is careful to point out that "there is no evidence that any
payment was ever made to Hastert or his campaign." According to
the article, "Hastert's spokesman says the Congressman withdrew the
genocide resolution only because of the approach from [President]
Clinton, 'and to insinuate anything else just doesn't make any sense.'
He adds that Hastert has no affiliation with the ATC or other groups
reportedly mentioned in the wiretaps.'" The full article can be read
in the September issue of Vanity Fair.
In a separate development, CongressWatch, an arm of Public Citizen,
recently released a 49-page report raising ethical concerns about
lobbying by former Members of Congress. The report includes a 12-
page case study of the Livingston Group's lobbying efforts for the
Turkish Government. The report details the efforts by Livingston
Group founder, former House Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston,
to secure a "$1 billion supplemental appropriation for Turkey. . .
despite that country's refusal to allow U.S. troops to use its
soil as a staging area for the Iraq invasion. He also helped kill
an amendment that would have formally recognized the Armenian
Genocide that occurred between 1915 and 1923. Turkey has always
opposed this recognition." The Livingston Group has received over $9
million in payments from Turkey. To read the entire report, visit:
http://www.lobbyinginfo.org/documents/RevolveDoor.pdf
"These behind-the-scenes accounts reveal a pattern of patently
unethical and possibly even illegal conduct by the Turkish government
and its allies in their efforts to oppose the Armenian Genocide
Resolution," said Aram Hamparian. "Facing growing bipartisan
Congressional support for this legislation, these interests are
resorting to increasingly desperate means to avoid the international
isolation that Turkey will face following U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide."
In the months leading up the publication of these documents, the ANCA
provided both Vanity Fair and Public Citizen with background materials,
interviews, and first-hand accounts regarding Congressional efforts
to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
#####
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
TURKEY UNDER MEDIA SCRUTINY FOR
ATTACKS ON U.S. GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
-- Major Story in Vanity Fair, Report by
Public Citizen Allege Unethical Conduct
by the Turkish Government and its Allies
WASHINGTON, DC - A major news magazine and a leading citizens'
group this week focused public attention on the unethical conduct of
powerful opponents of legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Vanity Fair, in its September issue, published a 10-page story on
FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, who was fired after "she accused a
colleague of covering up illicit activity involving Turkish nationals."
According to the article by contributing editor David Rose, Edmonds
claims FBI wiretaps reveal that the Turkish government and its
allies boasted of bribing - with as much as $500,000 - the Speaker
of the House of Representatives as part of an alleged deal to stop
consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
The article cites accounts by Edmonds regarding FBI wiretaps of
the Turkish Embassy and Turkish groups such as the American Turkish
Council (ATC) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA),
including, "repeated references to Hastert's flip-flop in the fall of
2000, over an issue which remains of intense concern to the Turkish
government, the continuing campaign to have Congress designate the
killings of Armenians in Turkey between 1915 and 1923 a genocide."
Rose is careful to point out that "there is no evidence that any
payment was ever made to Hastert or his campaign." According to
the article, "Hastert's spokesman says the Congressman withdrew the
genocide resolution only because of the approach from [President]
Clinton, 'and to insinuate anything else just doesn't make any sense.'
He adds that Hastert has no affiliation with the ATC or other groups
reportedly mentioned in the wiretaps.'" The full article can be read
in the September issue of Vanity Fair.
In a separate development, CongressWatch, an arm of Public Citizen,
recently released a 49-page report raising ethical concerns about
lobbying by former Members of Congress. The report includes a 12-
page case study of the Livingston Group's lobbying efforts for the
Turkish Government. The report details the efforts by Livingston
Group founder, former House Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston,
to secure a "$1 billion supplemental appropriation for Turkey. . .
despite that country's refusal to allow U.S. troops to use its
soil as a staging area for the Iraq invasion. He also helped kill
an amendment that would have formally recognized the Armenian
Genocide that occurred between 1915 and 1923. Turkey has always
opposed this recognition." The Livingston Group has received over $9
million in payments from Turkey. To read the entire report, visit:
http://www.lobbyinginfo.org/documents/RevolveDoor.pdf
"These behind-the-scenes accounts reveal a pattern of patently
unethical and possibly even illegal conduct by the Turkish government
and its allies in their efforts to oppose the Armenian Genocide
Resolution," said Aram Hamparian. "Facing growing bipartisan
Congressional support for this legislation, these interests are
resorting to increasingly desperate means to avoid the international
isolation that Turkey will face following U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide."
In the months leading up the publication of these documents, the ANCA
provided both Vanity Fair and Public Citizen with background materials,
interviews, and first-hand accounts regarding Congressional efforts
to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
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