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TURKEY NOTES ADOPTION OF GENOCIDE RESOLUTION WOULD HURT TIES WITH US
Anadolu Agency
March 1 2010
Turkey
Ankara, 1 March: Deputy Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA), Selim Yenel, said Monday if the United States
Congress adopt a resolution on incidents of 1915 on April 24, 2010,
this would "hurt" bilateral relations between Turkey and the USA.
Yenel's comments came after the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S.
House of Representatives began discussing a resolution regarding the
incidents of 1915.
Speaking to reporters in Turkish capital province of Ankara, Yenel
said that Turkey and the U.S. passed through a sensitive period.
There is a high possibility that the resolution may get adopted by
the Foreign Affairs Committee. However, this will not be the first
time that the resolution may get adopted by the Committee. A similar
resolution was adopted by the Committee in 2007, Yenel said.
If the resolution does get adopted by the Committee, the process until
April 24 will be extremely crucial. Within this process, Turkey has
held discussions with the U.S. administration, members of the U.S.
Congress and relevant U.S. officials. We have made the necessary
warnings to appropriate authorities in the U.S., Yenel stressed.
The Turkish Ambassador in Washington, D.C., Mr. Namik Tan, is making
all efforts pertaining to the resolution. Ambassador Tan held talks
with high level dignitaries of the Jewish community living in the U.S.
the other night, Yenel noted.
Touching on the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, Yenel
underlined that Turkey wished for the continuation of normalization of
relations between the two countries. However, if the resolution gets
adopted by the Committee, his would seriously harm the normalization
process, Yenel indicated.
We not only wish the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations but
also the normalization of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. Turkey,
as part of its regional vision, wants to establish good relations
with all neighbouring countries and one of the important steps in
this direction is to facilitate the normalization of relations with
Armenia, Yenel said.
We are watching and observing the resolution's process with great
"concern", Yenel underlined.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
will debate a resolution on the incidents of 1915 on March 4, 2010.
Every year, U.S. presidents deliver a speech on April 24 on the
incidents of 1915. Until 2010, no U.S. president has ever referred to
the incidents of 1915 as "genocide". The attitude of U.S. President
Barack Obama on the incidents of 1915 is being waited with great
curiosity in 2010.
In 2005, Turkey officially proposed to Armenian government the
establishment of a joint commission of history composed of historians
and other experts from both sides to study together the events of
1915 not only in the archives of Turkey and Armenia but also in the
archives of all relevant third countries and to share their findings
with the public. To date, the Armenian government has not responded
to Turkey's proposal of establishing the historical committee.
Anadolu Agency
March 1 2010
Turkey
Ankara, 1 March: Deputy Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA), Selim Yenel, said Monday if the United States
Congress adopt a resolution on incidents of 1915 on April 24, 2010,
this would "hurt" bilateral relations between Turkey and the USA.
Yenel's comments came after the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S.
House of Representatives began discussing a resolution regarding the
incidents of 1915.
Speaking to reporters in Turkish capital province of Ankara, Yenel
said that Turkey and the U.S. passed through a sensitive period.
There is a high possibility that the resolution may get adopted by
the Foreign Affairs Committee. However, this will not be the first
time that the resolution may get adopted by the Committee. A similar
resolution was adopted by the Committee in 2007, Yenel said.
If the resolution does get adopted by the Committee, the process until
April 24 will be extremely crucial. Within this process, Turkey has
held discussions with the U.S. administration, members of the U.S.
Congress and relevant U.S. officials. We have made the necessary
warnings to appropriate authorities in the U.S., Yenel stressed.
The Turkish Ambassador in Washington, D.C., Mr. Namik Tan, is making
all efforts pertaining to the resolution. Ambassador Tan held talks
with high level dignitaries of the Jewish community living in the U.S.
the other night, Yenel noted.
Touching on the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, Yenel
underlined that Turkey wished for the continuation of normalization of
relations between the two countries. However, if the resolution gets
adopted by the Committee, his would seriously harm the normalization
process, Yenel indicated.
We not only wish the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations but
also the normalization of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. Turkey,
as part of its regional vision, wants to establish good relations
with all neighbouring countries and one of the important steps in
this direction is to facilitate the normalization of relations with
Armenia, Yenel said.
We are watching and observing the resolution's process with great
"concern", Yenel underlined.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
will debate a resolution on the incidents of 1915 on March 4, 2010.
Every year, U.S. presidents deliver a speech on April 24 on the
incidents of 1915. Until 2010, no U.S. president has ever referred to
the incidents of 1915 as "genocide". The attitude of U.S. President
Barack Obama on the incidents of 1915 is being waited with great
curiosity in 2010.
In 2005, Turkey officially proposed to Armenian government the
establishment of a joint commission of history composed of historians
and other experts from both sides to study together the events of
1915 not only in the archives of Turkey and Armenia but also in the
archives of all relevant third countries and to share their findings
with the public. To date, the Armenian government has not responded
to Turkey's proposal of establishing the historical committee.