PULLING STRINGS: DAVUTOGLU AND ERDOGAN CONTACT US OFFICIALS
By: Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/12/21/pulling-strings-davutoglu-and-erdogan-contact-us-officials/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaig n=Feed%3A+ArmenianWeekly+%28Armenian+Weekly%29
Tue, Dec 21 2010
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on Dec. 17 to urge officials to block the House
of Representatives vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, saying
doing otherwise would jeopardize U.S.-Turkish ties. According to
Turkish sources, Clinton said her administration had not changed its
position on the matter and that "she would exert all possible effort."
Davutoglu told journalists, "I asked for an effective interference at
Congress because this issue may carry the possibility of influencing
the future and nature of Turkish-U.S. relations. Everybody should
act with responsibility on this issue. Bringing historical issues to
the agenda over and over, and swinging those issues over the head of
Turkish-U.S. relations like the sword of Damocles, is not appropriate."
Similarly, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to President Barack Obama asking him to prevent the vote by the House.
On Dec. 17, State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said the
Obama Administration strongly opposes the resolution. "We are aware
of a potential House Resolution 252, and we strongly oppose that
resolution. We continue to believe that the best way for Turkey and
Armenia to address their shared past is through their efforts to
normalize relations."
Both the Turkish Embassy and Turkish diaspora groups have launched a
campaign to block the passage of the resolution by contacting senior
U.S. officials and Congressmen.
Turkey has long threatened that its ties with the U.S. would suffer
if a resolution were passed. In March, Turkey recalled its ambassador
after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted in favor of it. Turkey
has continued to deny that its policies of deportation and mass murder
of the Armenians amounted to genocide.
From: A. Papazian
By: Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/12/21/pulling-strings-davutoglu-and-erdogan-contact-us-officials/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaig n=Feed%3A+ArmenianWeekly+%28Armenian+Weekly%29
Tue, Dec 21 2010
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on Dec. 17 to urge officials to block the House
of Representatives vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, saying
doing otherwise would jeopardize U.S.-Turkish ties. According to
Turkish sources, Clinton said her administration had not changed its
position on the matter and that "she would exert all possible effort."
Davutoglu told journalists, "I asked for an effective interference at
Congress because this issue may carry the possibility of influencing
the future and nature of Turkish-U.S. relations. Everybody should
act with responsibility on this issue. Bringing historical issues to
the agenda over and over, and swinging those issues over the head of
Turkish-U.S. relations like the sword of Damocles, is not appropriate."
Similarly, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to President Barack Obama asking him to prevent the vote by the House.
On Dec. 17, State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said the
Obama Administration strongly opposes the resolution. "We are aware
of a potential House Resolution 252, and we strongly oppose that
resolution. We continue to believe that the best way for Turkey and
Armenia to address their shared past is through their efforts to
normalize relations."
Both the Turkish Embassy and Turkish diaspora groups have launched a
campaign to block the passage of the resolution by contacting senior
U.S. officials and Congressmen.
Turkey has long threatened that its ties with the U.S. would suffer
if a resolution were passed. In March, Turkey recalled its ambassador
after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted in favor of it. Turkey
has continued to deny that its policies of deportation and mass murder
of the Armenians amounted to genocide.
From: A. Papazian