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Greek and Armenian Americans urge for conditions on Turkey trade deal
May 17, 2013 - 20:58 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan continues
his visit to Washington, DC, the leaders of the Greek American and
Armenian American communities have joined together in formally calling
upon the White House to set strict legal conditions on any new trade
agreements involving Turkey, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).
The Turkish government has, in the months leading up to this week's
Obama-Erdogan summit, aggressively pushed for Turkey's inclusion in a
far-ranging Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the
U.S. and the European Union, as well as for its own bilateral free
trade agreement with the United States. The American Hellenic
Institute (AHI), the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), and
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), in May 10th
testimony submitted to the U.S. Trade Representatives, argued
forcefully for any such agreements to "require, as a statutory
precondition, that the Turkish government fully withdraw its unlawful
and brutal military occupation of Cyprus, where human rights and
religious freedom are routinely violated, unconditionally lift its
illegal economic blockade of Armenia, and immediately end all
obstacles to trade, investment, and other forms of commerce it
currently imposes on Cyprus and Armenia."
While welcoming, as a general principle, the U.S. Trade
Representative's commitment to the growth of international trading
relations based upon the rule of law, the three organizations stressed
that, "in the case of Turkey, we would not advance our national
interests, further our economic prosperity, or promote our core values
by rewarding a nation that so egregiously and flagrantly undermines
the integrity of the global trading system by occupying a European
Union member state and refusing to end its two decade blockade of
landlocked Armenia."
From: A. Papazian
May 17, 2013 - 20:58 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan continues
his visit to Washington, DC, the leaders of the Greek American and
Armenian American communities have joined together in formally calling
upon the White House to set strict legal conditions on any new trade
agreements involving Turkey, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).
The Turkish government has, in the months leading up to this week's
Obama-Erdogan summit, aggressively pushed for Turkey's inclusion in a
far-ranging Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the
U.S. and the European Union, as well as for its own bilateral free
trade agreement with the United States. The American Hellenic
Institute (AHI), the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), and
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), in May 10th
testimony submitted to the U.S. Trade Representatives, argued
forcefully for any such agreements to "require, as a statutory
precondition, that the Turkish government fully withdraw its unlawful
and brutal military occupation of Cyprus, where human rights and
religious freedom are routinely violated, unconditionally lift its
illegal economic blockade of Armenia, and immediately end all
obstacles to trade, investment, and other forms of commerce it
currently imposes on Cyprus and Armenia."
While welcoming, as a general principle, the U.S. Trade
Representative's commitment to the growth of international trading
relations based upon the rule of law, the three organizations stressed
that, "in the case of Turkey, we would not advance our national
interests, further our economic prosperity, or promote our core values
by rewarding a nation that so egregiously and flagrantly undermines
the integrity of the global trading system by occupying a European
Union member state and refusing to end its two decade blockade of
landlocked Armenia."
From: A. Papazian