Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANCA: State Department Misled Senate on Turkish Communications about

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANCA: State Department Misled Senate on Turkish Communications about

    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 24, 2006
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    STATE DEPARTMENT MISLED SENATE ON
    TURKISH COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT AMB. EVANS

    -- Signed Statements Contradict State Department's
    Official Denial

    -- Justice Department Records Reveal Repeated Contacts
    by Turkey's Foreign Agent with the State Department
    Concerning Remarks by the Ambassador to Armenia

    WASHINGTON, DC - In yet another troubling development concerning
    the controversial nomination of Richard Hoagland to serve as U.S.
    Ambassador to Armenia, Department of Justice records have revealed
    that the State Department has misled the U.S. Senate regarding its
    communications with the Turkish government concerning the February
    2005 public affirmation of the Armenian Genocide by U.S. Ambassador
    to Armenia John Marshall Evans, reported the Armenian National
    Committee of America (ANCA).

    In a letter, dated June 28, 2005 written on behalf of Secretary of
    State Condoleezza Rice to Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), the Ranking
    Democrat of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the State
    Department denied that the Turkish government had even approached
    the Administration on this issue. However, official Foreign Agent
    Registration filings by the Turkish government's registered foreign
    agent, the Livingston Group, document that, in the days following
    Ambassador Evans' February 19, 2005 remarks, one of Turkey's agents
    communicated on at least four different occasions with State
    Department officials concerning the envoy's statement and his
    subsequent retraction.

    "With each new revelation, we see more clearly the corrosive impact
    that the Administration's complicity in Turkey's denial is having
    on our own core values as Americans," said ANCA Chairman Ken
    Hachikian. "This latest failed attempt by the State Department to
    mislead the Senate adds to the many compelling reasons to block the
    confirmation of a new Ambassador to Armenia."

    Consistent with the pattern of unresponsiveness that has come to
    characterize the Administration's actions on the Hoagland
    nomination, the only answer the State Department chose to provide
    in response to Senator Biden's four questions was a misleading one.
    His other inquiries - including an official request for an
    explanation of why Ambassador Evans was being replaced prematurely
    - remain unanswered.

    On June 23rd, as part of Ambassador Richard Hoagland's confirmation
    process to replace Amb. Evans in Yerevan, Senator Biden wrote a
    letter asking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a series of
    questions including the following: "Has the State Department
    received any communication - written, electronic, or spoken - from
    the Turkish Government concerning Ambassador Evans?"

    Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Jeffrey T.
    Bergner responded on behalf of Secretary Rice with the following
    assertion: "Please be assured that allegations that the U.S. is
    removing Ambassador Evans under pressure from the Government of
    Turkey are simply untrue. The Government of Turkey has not
    approached the Administration on this issue, and the United States
    and Turkey engaged in no diplomatic exchanges related to this
    matter."

    However, Justice Department filings by the Livingston Group reveal
    that a day after Amb. Evans' statements on the Armenian Genocide
    were publicized in an ANCA-San Francisco press release dated
    February 24, 2005, a Turkish agent communicated with the State
    Department concerning his statements. On February 28, 2005, one
    business day after the agent's first phone call, Ambassador Evans
    issued his first public retraction - noting that his mention of the
    Armenian Genocide was made in a private capacity. Later that same
    day, the Livingston Group reported three additional calls between
    one of Turkey's agents and State Department officials including the
    Deputy Chief of Mission-designate at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara to
    discuss Ambassador Evans' retraction. The very next day on March
    1, 2005, Ambassador Evans issued a public correction of his
    retraction - removing entirely any mention of the Armenian
    Genocide.

    In addition to the Justice Department filings, several Turkish
    press accounts reported that officials of the Government of Turkey
    communicated their concerns to the State Department regarding
    statements made by Ambassador Evans:

    1) Turkish Press

    On March 3, 2005, Turkish Press reported that, "Turkey's Ambassador
    in Washington Faruk Logoglu reacted to this. Ambassador Logoglu
    reminded his interlocutors in the State Department that the United
    States did not recognize 'Armenian genocide' noting the expression
    in Evans' apology was unacceptable. Justifying Turkey's warning,
    US State Department made Evans to issue a 'correction' for the
    apology." ("Evans Had to Correct His Statement Again After Using
    'Genocide' in His Apology," Turkish Press, March 3, 2005)

    2) Anadolu News Agency

    On March 4, 2005, the Anadolu News Agency reported that, "The
    Turkish ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu reacted to this
    message and the Washington administration approved Turkey's demand
    and made Evans correct the message of apology. Logoglu reminded the
    US State Department that the US does not recognize the Armenian
    genocide, but the term was used in the message of apology of the US
    Yerevan Ambassador. Logoglu noted that a term that is not accepted
    by USA could not be used in a statement of policy." ("Double
    Genocide Correction from US Yerevan Ambassador," Anadolu News
    Agency, March 04, 2005)

    3) Turkish Daily News

    On May 27, 2006, Turkish Daily News reported that, "'After his
    remarks last year that caused reaction at the State Department and
    by Turkey, Evans was given a second chance, but he continued to
    deviate from the official U.S. policy, working almost as a part of
    Armenian groups that have a specific agenda,' one U.S. analyst
    familiar with the matter said on Thursday. 'As a result he was
    recalled.'" ("US Envoy Fired Over 'Genocide' Claims," Turkish Daily
    News, May 27, 2006)

    The ANCA has circulated relevant sections of the Justice Department
    FARA filings to Congressional offices.

    #####
Working...
X