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Assistant Secretary Gordon Whitewashes Erdogan's Threat To Deport Ar

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  • Assistant Secretary Gordon Whitewashes Erdogan's Threat To Deport Ar

    ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON WHITEWASHES ERDOGAN'S THREAT TO DEPORT ARMENIANS FROM TURKEY

    Armenian Weekly
    Sat, Mar 20 2010

    WASHINGTON-On March 19, the Armenian National Committee of America
    (ANCA) expressed shock and disappointment at U.S. Assistant Secretary
    of State Phil Gordon's remarks seeking to cover up recent threats
    by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deport Armenian
    citizens from Turkey.

    "Prime Minister Erdogan's menacing threat to deport Armenians
    represents the most chilling evidence that Turkey, despite the best
    efforts of its Washington allies to whitewash its record, remains
    committed to the same violent attitudes and intentions that led to
    the genocide of 1915," stated ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian.

    "Secretary Gordon, having already played a central role in enforcing
    Turkey's gag rule within the administration and recently in Congress,
    has now reached a new low, becoming a personal apologist for hateful
    and violence-inciting threats by Erdogan. We call upon President
    Obama to immediately condemn Secretary Gordon's comments and affirm
    for the record that the U.S. government in no way condones renewed
    threats by Turkey against the Armenian people."

    Just weeks after the Swedish Parliament and the U.S. House Foreign
    Affairs Committee adopted legislation recognizing the Armenian
    Genocide, Erdogan told BBC reporters that "There are 170,000 Armenians
    in my country, of which 70,000 are my citizens. We're turning a blind
    eye to the other 100,000. However, tomorrow, if it becomes necessary,
    I would say to those 100,000, go back to your country. Why? Because
    they're not my citizens; I'm not obliged to keep them in my country."

    Despite outrage expressed by government officials and media around
    the world and within Turkey, Gordon tried to explain away Erdogan's
    comments as a mere statement on immigration policy. "In my opinion,
    Prime Minister Erdogan only wanted to highlight that there are 100,000
    Armenians living in Turkey illegally. I don't believe he threatened to
    deport them from the country. Those are separate issues. Every country
    has an issue with illegal immigrants and approaches it according to
    its laws," Gordon remarked. The comment was originally reported by
    CNN-Turk, reprinted in the Armenian news site Tert.am, and verified
    by the ANCA in a conversation with State Department officials.

    As Senator and presidential candidate, Obama pledged to recognize
    the Armenian Genocide, stating, "America deserves a leader who speaks
    truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all
    genocides. I intend to be that president." Despite campaign statements
    in support of Armenian Genocide legislation, the Obama Administration
    attempted and failed to block House Foreign Affairs committee passage
    of H.Res.252, adopted by a vote of 23-22 on March 4. Comments from
    unnamed administration officials, reported widely in the U.S. press
    that a deal had been struck between the White House and Congress to
    shelve the resolution, were disavowed by Gordon earlier this week.

    Congressional support for genocide resolution continues to grow

    Meanwhile, congressional support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution
    continued to grow this week, with House Education Committee chairman
    George Miller (D-Calif.) and Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) the latest
    to add their names to the 139 co-sponsors of the resolution. The
    Senate version of the legislation, led by Senators Bob Menendez
    (D-N.J.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.), currently has 13 co-sponsors.

    The ANCA is continuing its "End Turkey's Gag Rule" campaign,
    urging elected officials in the U.S. and around the world to
    reject Turkey's attempts to silence international affirmation
    of the Armenian Genocide. For more information, visit
    http://www.anca.org/endthegagrule.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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