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TURKEY'S LEADER ASKS OBAMA TO THWART GENOCIDE VOTE
The Associated Press
December 20, 2010 Monday 04:49 PM GMT
Turkey's prime minister asked President Barack Obama on Monday to
prevent a possible House vote on a resolution declaring the World
War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told parliament that Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had sent Obama a letter asking he prevent the
vote, saying it could damage ties between the two allies.
"We cannot allow the resolution to hang over Turkish-U.S. ties like
a Sword of Damocles," Davutoglu said.
A vote could take place before Democrats hand over leadership of the
House to Republicans next month.
Government spokesman and State Minister Cemil Cicek said Turkey is
bothered that the issue has not disappeared from the agenda for good.
He stressed, however, that good relations with the U.S. were important,
despite some ups and downs.
"We are disturbed that this issue comes to the agenda every year,"
Cicek said. "We don't find it right that this is used as a torture
tool over us."
Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I. Turkey denies the deaths
constituted genocide.
From: A. Papazian
The Associated Press
December 20, 2010 Monday 04:49 PM GMT
Turkey's prime minister asked President Barack Obama on Monday to
prevent a possible House vote on a resolution declaring the World
War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told parliament that Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had sent Obama a letter asking he prevent the
vote, saying it could damage ties between the two allies.
"We cannot allow the resolution to hang over Turkish-U.S. ties like
a Sword of Damocles," Davutoglu said.
A vote could take place before Democrats hand over leadership of the
House to Republicans next month.
Government spokesman and State Minister Cemil Cicek said Turkey is
bothered that the issue has not disappeared from the agenda for good.
He stressed, however, that good relations with the U.S. were important,
despite some ups and downs.
"We are disturbed that this issue comes to the agenda every year,"
Cicek said. "We don't find it right that this is used as a torture
tool over us."
Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I. Turkey denies the deaths
constituted genocide.
From: A. Papazian