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Blouin News, NY
April 11 2014
Turkey condemns U.S. push on Armenian Genocide
April 11, 2014 by Lora Moftah
Turkey strongly condemned the United States on Friday following the
passage of a resolution by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
to commemorate the Armenian genocide, a move which would allow the
measure to be voted on in the full Senate. Recognition of the 1912
atrocity by the Ottoman Empire has always been a sensitive issue for
Washington. The fear of alienating NATO ally Turkey has tempered
official statements on the killings despite vocal lobbying by the
Armenian diaspora community in the U.S.
While Washington has come closer to officially acknowledging the
historic tragedy in recent years, there remains a clear line between
commemorating the events of 1912 and actually referring to them as
"genocide." Even President Barack Obama, who took an unusually firm
stance in support of recognizing the genocide while campaigning for
the presidency back in 2008, has studiously avoided using the word
since coming to office.
The fear around the issue among U.S. officials seems founded following
the passage of the Senate resolution on Thursday. Even despite Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's explicit acknowledgment of his
expectation that the resolution would come to nothing, top Turkish
officials have nonetheless reacted with outrage, issuing stark
reminders of the importance of Turkey-U.S. strategic cooperation.
While Turkey may continue to maintain the upper-hand on the issue
politically, the deck is ultimately stacked against Ankara as Armenian
activists step up their campaign in the lead up to 100th anniversary
of the atrocity next year.
Source: ANCA
Even this year, it is clear that the public relations battle is going
badly for Turkey. Though the Senate resolution is unlikely to go
anywhere, in the weeks leading up to Armenian Remembrance Day on April
24 the case of Armenian activists has been unexpectedly bolstered in
the wake of the capture of the predominantly Armenian village of
Kassab in northern Syria. When rebel forces overran the resort town in
Latakia province late last month, many of the town's residents fled,
fearing violence from radical Islamist factions. Though many of the
horror stories coming out of the town, including claims that jihadists
had desecrated churches and beheaded Christians, have been debunked,
Turkey's role in facilitating the seizure has put a spotlight on its
relationship with jihadist groups fighting against the Assad regime.
Charges that Turkey had helped to orchestrate the takeover of the
town, with reports that the rebel assault was launched from Turkish
soil, have also inconveniently resurrected the ghosts of the
century-old conflict with Armenia. The threat posed to the significant
Armenian diaspora community in the region, especially so close to the
anniversary of the start of the genocide, has galvanized the cause of
Armenian diaspora activists. International condemnation following the
seizure of Kassab (not to mention the awareness-raising efforts of
Armenian-American celebrities like Cher and Kim Kardashian) have put
Turkey in the hot seat.
The inconvenient confluence of events will do more than keep the
international spotlight focused on Turkey's role in the Syria conflict
-- it will also serve as a reminder of its Ottoman predecessors
actions, especially as the genocide anniversary approaches. This
expected scrutiny should make for a powerful argument to jump-starting
Davutoglu's modest attempt at restarting Armenian normalization
efforts from late last year. If the Turkish government is to have any
hope of successfully heading off pressure -- and salvaging its already
tattered foreign policy -- it will need to make some serious efforts on
this front.
http://blogs.blouinnews.com/blouinbeatworld/2014/04/11/turkey-condemns-u-s-push-on-armenian-genocide/
April 11 2014
Turkey condemns U.S. push on Armenian Genocide
April 11, 2014 by Lora Moftah
Turkey strongly condemned the United States on Friday following the
passage of a resolution by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
to commemorate the Armenian genocide, a move which would allow the
measure to be voted on in the full Senate. Recognition of the 1912
atrocity by the Ottoman Empire has always been a sensitive issue for
Washington. The fear of alienating NATO ally Turkey has tempered
official statements on the killings despite vocal lobbying by the
Armenian diaspora community in the U.S.
While Washington has come closer to officially acknowledging the
historic tragedy in recent years, there remains a clear line between
commemorating the events of 1912 and actually referring to them as
"genocide." Even President Barack Obama, who took an unusually firm
stance in support of recognizing the genocide while campaigning for
the presidency back in 2008, has studiously avoided using the word
since coming to office.
The fear around the issue among U.S. officials seems founded following
the passage of the Senate resolution on Thursday. Even despite Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's explicit acknowledgment of his
expectation that the resolution would come to nothing, top Turkish
officials have nonetheless reacted with outrage, issuing stark
reminders of the importance of Turkey-U.S. strategic cooperation.
While Turkey may continue to maintain the upper-hand on the issue
politically, the deck is ultimately stacked against Ankara as Armenian
activists step up their campaign in the lead up to 100th anniversary
of the atrocity next year.
Source: ANCA
Even this year, it is clear that the public relations battle is going
badly for Turkey. Though the Senate resolution is unlikely to go
anywhere, in the weeks leading up to Armenian Remembrance Day on April
24 the case of Armenian activists has been unexpectedly bolstered in
the wake of the capture of the predominantly Armenian village of
Kassab in northern Syria. When rebel forces overran the resort town in
Latakia province late last month, many of the town's residents fled,
fearing violence from radical Islamist factions. Though many of the
horror stories coming out of the town, including claims that jihadists
had desecrated churches and beheaded Christians, have been debunked,
Turkey's role in facilitating the seizure has put a spotlight on its
relationship with jihadist groups fighting against the Assad regime.
Charges that Turkey had helped to orchestrate the takeover of the
town, with reports that the rebel assault was launched from Turkish
soil, have also inconveniently resurrected the ghosts of the
century-old conflict with Armenia. The threat posed to the significant
Armenian diaspora community in the region, especially so close to the
anniversary of the start of the genocide, has galvanized the cause of
Armenian diaspora activists. International condemnation following the
seizure of Kassab (not to mention the awareness-raising efforts of
Armenian-American celebrities like Cher and Kim Kardashian) have put
Turkey in the hot seat.
The inconvenient confluence of events will do more than keep the
international spotlight focused on Turkey's role in the Syria conflict
-- it will also serve as a reminder of its Ottoman predecessors
actions, especially as the genocide anniversary approaches. This
expected scrutiny should make for a powerful argument to jump-starting
Davutoglu's modest attempt at restarting Armenian normalization
efforts from late last year. If the Turkish government is to have any
hope of successfully heading off pressure -- and salvaging its already
tattered foreign policy -- it will need to make some serious efforts on
this front.
http://blogs.blouinnews.com/blouinbeatworld/2014/04/11/turkey-condemns-u-s-push-on-armenian-genocide/