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US CONGRESS SHOULD END THE RECOGNITION DEBATE
Hurriyet
March 2 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL - With a fresh resolution calling on the United States to
formally recognize the Armenians' claims of "genocide"looming on the
horizon, the US Congress should not repeat the same cycle of events
if an Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is desired, according to a
Newsweek article
While Washington gears up for another debate on the Armenian claims of
"genocide", the U.S. Congress should pay attention to rising optimistic
voices from Ankara and Yerevan toward rapprochement, according to a
Newsweek article.
The article "How to End a Genocide Debate" noted that that since 1984,
the U.S. Armenian lobby pursue the same course of action in what the
author called the "Armenian Genocide Resolution Spectacular." According
to this "historical plotline," first the U.S. Armenian lobby convinces
a few U.S. congressmen to sponsor a resolution recognizing the Armenian
claims of "genocide". Next the Turkish government steps in saying
that Turkey is too important to be insulted in this way, followed by
the U.S. administration "recognizing that Turkey is indeed a critical
NATO ally whose Incirlik Air Base is vital to the Iraq mission," and
then "twisting congressional arms to abandon the resolution." In the
meantime, the Israeli lobby keen to boost Turkish-Israeli relations
--although not so much this year -- noted the author, works against
the resolution. Finally Congress "reluctantly shelves the whole thing
and the curtain falls."
Progress possible
The article said this year, however, there was a new twist in the
plot: diplomatic efforts between Turkey and Armenia. "Progress has
been possible because the Armenians have focused on the concrete
issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border and both sides have
wisely avoided the genocide dispute surely recognizing it will have
to be dealt with eventually but that developing economic ties will
make it easier to do so," the article argued.
The Armenian diaspora, however, has been insistently lingering in
the background. As no Turkish government will be able to consider
opening the Armenian border with the "genocide" claims front and
center, Congress should realize that such a resolution would block
any attempt of normalization between the two countries, Newsweek wrote.
Common ground
"To those aiming for reconciliation, two questions outrank it: what
common facts can Turks and Armenians be brought to accept, and is
the common ground sufficient for both sides to start binding up the
wounds," said the article, noting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's proposal to establish a joint historical commission should
be pursued.
The U.S. Congress could help reconciliation "if it is willing to
deny the Armenian-American lobby the instant gratification of a
genocide resolution. Doing so would be far better than repeating the
exercises of the last 25 years over and over again until a resolution
finally passes and all the House's leverage over Turkey evaporates,
along with most of the goodwill in the Turkish-American alliance,
and maybe even the alliance itself," said the article.
Good relations between Turkey and Armenia would further U.S. objectives
in the Caucasus, noted Newsweek. "The proposed hydrocarbon corridor
through the Caucasus looks much more secure in the context of
Turkish-Armenian friendship and it might give Armenia the confidence
to break with the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute."
Hurriyet
March 2 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL - With a fresh resolution calling on the United States to
formally recognize the Armenians' claims of "genocide"looming on the
horizon, the US Congress should not repeat the same cycle of events
if an Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is desired, according to a
Newsweek article
While Washington gears up for another debate on the Armenian claims of
"genocide", the U.S. Congress should pay attention to rising optimistic
voices from Ankara and Yerevan toward rapprochement, according to a
Newsweek article.
The article "How to End a Genocide Debate" noted that that since 1984,
the U.S. Armenian lobby pursue the same course of action in what the
author called the "Armenian Genocide Resolution Spectacular." According
to this "historical plotline," first the U.S. Armenian lobby convinces
a few U.S. congressmen to sponsor a resolution recognizing the Armenian
claims of "genocide". Next the Turkish government steps in saying
that Turkey is too important to be insulted in this way, followed by
the U.S. administration "recognizing that Turkey is indeed a critical
NATO ally whose Incirlik Air Base is vital to the Iraq mission," and
then "twisting congressional arms to abandon the resolution." In the
meantime, the Israeli lobby keen to boost Turkish-Israeli relations
--although not so much this year -- noted the author, works against
the resolution. Finally Congress "reluctantly shelves the whole thing
and the curtain falls."
Progress possible
The article said this year, however, there was a new twist in the
plot: diplomatic efforts between Turkey and Armenia. "Progress has
been possible because the Armenians have focused on the concrete
issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border and both sides have
wisely avoided the genocide dispute surely recognizing it will have
to be dealt with eventually but that developing economic ties will
make it easier to do so," the article argued.
The Armenian diaspora, however, has been insistently lingering in
the background. As no Turkish government will be able to consider
opening the Armenian border with the "genocide" claims front and
center, Congress should realize that such a resolution would block
any attempt of normalization between the two countries, Newsweek wrote.
Common ground
"To those aiming for reconciliation, two questions outrank it: what
common facts can Turks and Armenians be brought to accept, and is
the common ground sufficient for both sides to start binding up the
wounds," said the article, noting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's proposal to establish a joint historical commission should
be pursued.
The U.S. Congress could help reconciliation "if it is willing to
deny the Armenian-American lobby the instant gratification of a
genocide resolution. Doing so would be far better than repeating the
exercises of the last 25 years over and over again until a resolution
finally passes and all the House's leverage over Turkey evaporates,
along with most of the goodwill in the Turkish-American alliance,
and maybe even the alliance itself," said the article.
Good relations between Turkey and Armenia would further U.S. objectives
in the Caucasus, noted Newsweek. "The proposed hydrocarbon corridor
through the Caucasus looks much more secure in the context of
Turkish-Armenian friendship and it might give Armenia the confidence
to break with the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute."