Tweet
New York Times
March 5 2010
No House Vote Set on Turkey - Armenia Issue - Aide
By REUTERS
Published: March 5, 2010
.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There are no plans at this point for the full
U.S. House of Representatives to vote on a resolution branding as
genocide the World War One-era massacre of Armenians by Turkish
forces, a Democratic leadership aide said on Friday.
Despite appeals from the Obama administration, the House Foreign
Affairs Committee narrowly approved a nonbinding resolution on
Thursday labeling the killings as genocide, prompting Turkey to recall
its ambassador from Washington.
"There are no plans to schedule it at this point," the aide said of
the measure that the administration said could hurt ties with a NATO
ally that is important for U.S. interests in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan
and the Middle East.
Advocates of the largely symbolic measure would have to show
Democratic leaders they have the votes to pass it before it would be
brought to the House floor, another Democratic aide said. Both aides
spoke on condition that they not be named.
The issue puts Obama between Turkey, a secular Muslim democracy that
looks toward the West, and Armenian-Americans, an important
constituency in states like California and New Jersey, ahead of the
November congressional elections.
Turkish leaders reacted with fury after the House committee passed the
resolution on a 23-22 vote, and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
warned of possible damage to relations with the United States.
But Turkey said on Friday that it would push on with efforts to
normalize ties with Armenia despite the vote. [ID:nLDE6240TD]
VOTE COUNTING
An Armenian-American leader said supporters would gather next week to
do a "whip count" of House backers of the resolution that calls on
Obama to ensure U.S. policy recognizes the 1915 massacres as genocide.
Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America,
said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's staff had indicated some time ago
that the resolution would get a floor vote when backers could show it
would pass.
The resolution has 137 co-sponsors, which is one measure of support
and not close to the majority of 217 that would be needed to pass.
There are 432 House members at the moment.
Muslim Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks but denies that up to 1.5 million died and that it
amounted to genocide -- a term employed by many Western historians and
some foreign parliaments.
The resolution urges Obama to use the term "genocide" when he delivers
his annual message on the Armenian massacres in April, something he
avoided doing last year.
(Editing by Vicki Allen)
March 5 2010
No House Vote Set on Turkey - Armenia Issue - Aide
By REUTERS
Published: March 5, 2010
.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There are no plans at this point for the full
U.S. House of Representatives to vote on a resolution branding as
genocide the World War One-era massacre of Armenians by Turkish
forces, a Democratic leadership aide said on Friday.
Despite appeals from the Obama administration, the House Foreign
Affairs Committee narrowly approved a nonbinding resolution on
Thursday labeling the killings as genocide, prompting Turkey to recall
its ambassador from Washington.
"There are no plans to schedule it at this point," the aide said of
the measure that the administration said could hurt ties with a NATO
ally that is important for U.S. interests in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan
and the Middle East.
Advocates of the largely symbolic measure would have to show
Democratic leaders they have the votes to pass it before it would be
brought to the House floor, another Democratic aide said. Both aides
spoke on condition that they not be named.
The issue puts Obama between Turkey, a secular Muslim democracy that
looks toward the West, and Armenian-Americans, an important
constituency in states like California and New Jersey, ahead of the
November congressional elections.
Turkish leaders reacted with fury after the House committee passed the
resolution on a 23-22 vote, and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
warned of possible damage to relations with the United States.
But Turkey said on Friday that it would push on with efforts to
normalize ties with Armenia despite the vote. [ID:nLDE6240TD]
VOTE COUNTING
An Armenian-American leader said supporters would gather next week to
do a "whip count" of House backers of the resolution that calls on
Obama to ensure U.S. policy recognizes the 1915 massacres as genocide.
Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America,
said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's staff had indicated some time ago
that the resolution would get a floor vote when backers could show it
would pass.
The resolution has 137 co-sponsors, which is one measure of support
and not close to the majority of 217 that would be needed to pass.
There are 432 House members at the moment.
Muslim Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks but denies that up to 1.5 million died and that it
amounted to genocide -- a term employed by many Western historians and
some foreign parliaments.
The resolution urges Obama to use the term "genocide" when he delivers
his annual message on the Armenian massacres in April, something he
avoided doing last year.
(Editing by Vicki Allen)