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Peace fm Online
March 5 2010
Turkish Angry At US Armenian 'Genocide' Vote
Date: 05-Mar-2010
Turkey has reacted angrily to a US congressional panel's resolution
describing as genocide the killings of Armenians in World War I.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had been accused of a crime
it did not commit, adding the resolution would harm Turkish-US
relations.
Ankara has recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and
says it is considering other responses.
The White House had urged against the vote. Armenia welcomed the
outcome. The government of Turkey, a key American ally and fellow Nato
member, had lobbied hard for the US Congress not to vote on the issue.
The BBC's Jane O'Brien in Washington says Turkey must be hoping that,
as with a similar resolution two years ago, the issue will not come to
the floor of the House for a full vote. In 2007, it passed the
committee stage, but was shelved after pressure from the George W Bush
administration.
The resolution was narrowly approved - by 23 votes to 22 - by the
House Foreign Affairs Committee. It calls on President Barack Obama to
ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the
"genocide" and to label the World War I killings as such in his annual
statement on the issue.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul responded angrily to the committee's
vote, saying it was "an injustice to history" to take such a decision
with "political concerns in mind". "Turkey will not be responsible for
the negative results that this event may lead to," he said. Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara on Friday
that Turkey was determined to press ahead with efforts to normalise
relations with Armenia.
However, he said the ratification by parliament of peace accords
signed with Armenia last October was in jeopardy. A Turkish
parliamentary delegation had gone to Washington to try to persuade
committee members to reject the resolution.
Turkey accepts that atrocities were committed but argues they were
part of the war and that there was no systematic attempt to destroy
the Christian Armenian people. The Armenian government welcomed the
vote, calling it "an important step towards the prevention of crimes
against humanity".
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had urged the House committee
not to vote on Thursday on the grounds that it would damage
reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia, and said she hoped
it would go no further.
http://news.peacefmonline.com/foreign/2 01003/39614.php
March 5 2010
Turkish Angry At US Armenian 'Genocide' Vote
Date: 05-Mar-2010
Turkey has reacted angrily to a US congressional panel's resolution
describing as genocide the killings of Armenians in World War I.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had been accused of a crime
it did not commit, adding the resolution would harm Turkish-US
relations.
Ankara has recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and
says it is considering other responses.
The White House had urged against the vote. Armenia welcomed the
outcome. The government of Turkey, a key American ally and fellow Nato
member, had lobbied hard for the US Congress not to vote on the issue.
The BBC's Jane O'Brien in Washington says Turkey must be hoping that,
as with a similar resolution two years ago, the issue will not come to
the floor of the House for a full vote. In 2007, it passed the
committee stage, but was shelved after pressure from the George W Bush
administration.
The resolution was narrowly approved - by 23 votes to 22 - by the
House Foreign Affairs Committee. It calls on President Barack Obama to
ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the
"genocide" and to label the World War I killings as such in his annual
statement on the issue.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul responded angrily to the committee's
vote, saying it was "an injustice to history" to take such a decision
with "political concerns in mind". "Turkey will not be responsible for
the negative results that this event may lead to," he said. Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara on Friday
that Turkey was determined to press ahead with efforts to normalise
relations with Armenia.
However, he said the ratification by parliament of peace accords
signed with Armenia last October was in jeopardy. A Turkish
parliamentary delegation had gone to Washington to try to persuade
committee members to reject the resolution.
Turkey accepts that atrocities were committed but argues they were
part of the war and that there was no systematic attempt to destroy
the Christian Armenian people. The Armenian government welcomed the
vote, calling it "an important step towards the prevention of crimes
against humanity".
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had urged the House committee
not to vote on Thursday on the grounds that it would damage
reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia, and said she hoped
it would go no further.
http://news.peacefmonline.com/foreign/2 01003/39614.php