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TURKEY TO U.S.: YOU WOULDN'T LIKE US WHEN WE'RE ANGRY
By Joshua Keating
Foreign Policy
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03 /02/turkey_to_us_you_wouldnt_like_us_when_were_ang ry
March 1 2010
On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will debate a
resolution to recognize the 1915 killing of Armenian civilians by
Turkish troops as a genocide. A similar resolution failed in 2007. The
Obama administration has not taken a stand on the resolution, which
is largely supported by the Armenian-American community, but it's
long been supported by House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
A Turkish parliamentary delegation, including members of both the
ruling AKP party and opposition CHP party, is currently visiting
Washington to lobby against the resolution. At a media briefing at the
Turkish embassy this morning, they made very clear that the passage
of the resolution would "seriously affect the relationship between
the two countries."
Foreign relations committee chairman Murat Mercan discussed some
specific U.S. projects that could be affected:
I envision for instance the withdrawal of American troops, which is
a huge logistical operation involving thousands of soldiers moving
away from Iraq [through Turkey.] Thousands of tons of equipment. This
type of thing might require parliamentary approval. It will come to
our committee.
The Turkish military precence in Afghanistan is extended in the Turkish
parliament. Every year year present of Turkish troops needs to be
approved by the parliament This too will come through our committee.
Former U.S. ambassador Sukru Elekdag described Turkey's importance
to the United States as a back-channel to Iran, interlocutor with
Pakistan, and ally in resolving the frozen conflicts in the South
Caucasus.
The new measure comes up at a time when Turkey and Armenia finally
seem to be moving toward rapproachment, a process the MPs also said
would be jeopardized by the House motion.
It seems a bit contradictory to me that the Turkish government on
the one hand says it sees the Armenian rapproachment as vital to its
own national interest, but on the other hand says the U.S. resolution
will imperil it. I asked Mercan why Turkish-Armenian relations should
be affected by what the U.S. congress says:
The rapprocahment has three pillars: one is opening the borders, one
is diplomatic relations, one is setting up a historical commission
that would explore what happened in the past, in 1915. If other
parliaments decide things like this without merit or investigaiton,
then how would you convince your Armenian counterpart that this kind
of committee is needed?
In realist terms, it's certainly hard to justify jeopardizing
U.S.-Turkish cooperation today over something that happened almost
a century ago, and it seems unlikely to me that this one will ever
reach President Obama's desk. On the other hand, Turkey is not doing
a great job making it seem like they care about the rapproachement
for its own sake, rather than as a result of U.S. pressure.
In any event, it's very interesting to see how a Turkish government
that realizes its crucial role in U.S. policy is learning throw its
weight around a bit.
By Joshua Keating
Foreign Policy
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03 /02/turkey_to_us_you_wouldnt_like_us_when_were_ang ry
March 1 2010
On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will debate a
resolution to recognize the 1915 killing of Armenian civilians by
Turkish troops as a genocide. A similar resolution failed in 2007. The
Obama administration has not taken a stand on the resolution, which
is largely supported by the Armenian-American community, but it's
long been supported by House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
A Turkish parliamentary delegation, including members of both the
ruling AKP party and opposition CHP party, is currently visiting
Washington to lobby against the resolution. At a media briefing at the
Turkish embassy this morning, they made very clear that the passage
of the resolution would "seriously affect the relationship between
the two countries."
Foreign relations committee chairman Murat Mercan discussed some
specific U.S. projects that could be affected:
I envision for instance the withdrawal of American troops, which is
a huge logistical operation involving thousands of soldiers moving
away from Iraq [through Turkey.] Thousands of tons of equipment. This
type of thing might require parliamentary approval. It will come to
our committee.
The Turkish military precence in Afghanistan is extended in the Turkish
parliament. Every year year present of Turkish troops needs to be
approved by the parliament This too will come through our committee.
Former U.S. ambassador Sukru Elekdag described Turkey's importance
to the United States as a back-channel to Iran, interlocutor with
Pakistan, and ally in resolving the frozen conflicts in the South
Caucasus.
The new measure comes up at a time when Turkey and Armenia finally
seem to be moving toward rapproachment, a process the MPs also said
would be jeopardized by the House motion.
It seems a bit contradictory to me that the Turkish government on
the one hand says it sees the Armenian rapproachment as vital to its
own national interest, but on the other hand says the U.S. resolution
will imperil it. I asked Mercan why Turkish-Armenian relations should
be affected by what the U.S. congress says:
The rapprocahment has three pillars: one is opening the borders, one
is diplomatic relations, one is setting up a historical commission
that would explore what happened in the past, in 1915. If other
parliaments decide things like this without merit or investigaiton,
then how would you convince your Armenian counterpart that this kind
of committee is needed?
In realist terms, it's certainly hard to justify jeopardizing
U.S.-Turkish cooperation today over something that happened almost
a century ago, and it seems unlikely to me that this one will ever
reach President Obama's desk. On the other hand, Turkey is not doing
a great job making it seem like they care about the rapproachement
for its own sake, rather than as a result of U.S. pressure.
In any event, it's very interesting to see how a Turkish government
that realizes its crucial role in U.S. policy is learning throw its
weight around a bit.