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TURKEY WARNS US OVER ARMENIA GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
Sify News
http://www.sify.com/news/turkey-warns-us-over-armenia-genocide-resolution-news-international-kmvuOmajhfh.html
Dec 21 2010
India
Istanbul, Dec 21 (DPA) The Turkish government has warned US President
Barack Obama that a congressional vote on a resolution recognising
the massacre of Armenians during World War I as a 'genocide' could
severely damage relations, the Turkish press reported Tuesday.
The US House of Representatives has tentatively planned a vote on the
resolution for Tuesday, just before the 111th congress concludes. In
March, the non-binding resolution was passed by a 23-22 vote in
the House's Foreign Affairs Committee, a move Turkey protested by
withdrawing its ambassador to Washington for one month.
Armenians contend that up to 1.5 million of their people were
systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. The US has
approximately one million citizens of Armenian descent and the diaspora
has rallied for recognition of the killings as a 'genocide'.
Turkey has long denied the genocide claim, saying the number of
Armenians killed is much lower than claimed and that the deaths were
the result of intercommunal violence at the time that also affected
other ethnic groups.
The Turkish government and Turkish-American advocacy groups have
engaged in an intense lobbying effort to prevent the resolution from
going to a vote in the House.
On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to Obama saying that the vote could cause a major rift in relations,
according to reports in the Turkish press. 'We are expecting that you
will step in and intervene in Congress,' Erdogan's letter reportedly
said.
Although Turkey refuses to recognise the genocide claim, relations
between the current Turkish and Armenian governments have slightly
improved over the last couple of years.
In October 2009, the two governments signed accords to renew diplomatic
relations and open their border. However, neither country has fully
ratified the accords, and the process has stalled.
Ankara has warned that the passing of the genocide resolution in
the US House could lead to a rupture in relations with Washington
and could harm the already tentative reconciliation process between
Turkey and Armenia.
The Obama administration has opposed the House resolution for the
same reasons.
In 2007, then president George W. Bush successfully pressured the
House not to bring a similar genocide resolution to a floor vote,
averting a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the US.
From: A. Papazian
Sify News
http://www.sify.com/news/turkey-warns-us-over-armenia-genocide-resolution-news-international-kmvuOmajhfh.html
Dec 21 2010
India
Istanbul, Dec 21 (DPA) The Turkish government has warned US President
Barack Obama that a congressional vote on a resolution recognising
the massacre of Armenians during World War I as a 'genocide' could
severely damage relations, the Turkish press reported Tuesday.
The US House of Representatives has tentatively planned a vote on the
resolution for Tuesday, just before the 111th congress concludes. In
March, the non-binding resolution was passed by a 23-22 vote in
the House's Foreign Affairs Committee, a move Turkey protested by
withdrawing its ambassador to Washington for one month.
Armenians contend that up to 1.5 million of their people were
systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. The US has
approximately one million citizens of Armenian descent and the diaspora
has rallied for recognition of the killings as a 'genocide'.
Turkey has long denied the genocide claim, saying the number of
Armenians killed is much lower than claimed and that the deaths were
the result of intercommunal violence at the time that also affected
other ethnic groups.
The Turkish government and Turkish-American advocacy groups have
engaged in an intense lobbying effort to prevent the resolution from
going to a vote in the House.
On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to Obama saying that the vote could cause a major rift in relations,
according to reports in the Turkish press. 'We are expecting that you
will step in and intervene in Congress,' Erdogan's letter reportedly
said.
Although Turkey refuses to recognise the genocide claim, relations
between the current Turkish and Armenian governments have slightly
improved over the last couple of years.
In October 2009, the two governments signed accords to renew diplomatic
relations and open their border. However, neither country has fully
ratified the accords, and the process has stalled.
Ankara has warned that the passing of the genocide resolution in
the US House could lead to a rupture in relations with Washington
and could harm the already tentative reconciliation process between
Turkey and Armenia.
The Obama administration has opposed the House resolution for the
same reasons.
In 2007, then president George W. Bush successfully pressured the
House not to bring a similar genocide resolution to a floor vote,
averting a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the US.
From: A. Papazian