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Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 20 2014
Turkey's lobbying power in Washington diminished
April 20, 2014, Sunday/ 00:40:01/
DENÄ°Z ARSLAN/ ANKARA
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently passed a resolution
commemorating the "Armenian genocide," clearing the way for the
resolution to be voted on in the Senate, a sign of Turkey's diminished
lobbying power in the US capital.
A senior diplomat and expert on Turkish-American relations told
Sunday's Zaman that, if the resolution comes to the Senate floor, it
will be adopted, `without a doubt.'
"Turkey has no weight in Washington. Not anymore," said the diplomat,
who asked not to be named. The diplomat also added that only five
Republican Party members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
had voted against the resolution. Of the 18-member committee, 12 voted
for the resolution and one abstained during the voting on April 10.
The resolution had been introduced to the committee by Democratic
Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey one week before its adoption.
There was no Turkish ambassador present at the embassy building in
Washington at the time the resolution was accepted onto the agenda of
the Committee on Foreign Relations. Ambassador Serdar Kılıç had been
appointed to the post by the Turkish Foreign Ministry back in January,
replacing the seasoned diplomat Namık Tan. Kılıç arrived in
Washington, D.C., about the time the resolution passed in the
committee. Ambassador Tan had already left three weeks before Kılıç's
arrival. Kılıç reportedly came to Washington once, years ago, as a
diplomatic courier. However, he still needs to present his credentials
to US President Barack Obama before he starts working in Washington
officially.
With the support of Armenian lobby groups in the US, numerous
"Armenian genocide" resolutions have been introduced to the committees
of both chambers of the US Congress over the years. In the majority of
cases, Turkish lobby groups in the US capital have been able to defend
Turkey's policies, and the resolutions have not reached the US House
or Senate floor.
It will be the decision of Senate majority leader Harry Reid to take
the resolution onto the Senate's agenda. In the past the US
administration had interfered at the last minute by sending a letter
from the White House and the US State Department to members of
Congress and senators saying that passing a resolution recognizing the
"Armenian genocide" would damage the Turkish-US relationship and harm
US interests in the region.
According to sources who spoke to Sunday's Zaman, the expectation on
both the Turkish and American sides is that the resolution will not be
brought to the Senate floor, as Turkey is still too important for
American interests. But this time the US administration has not spoken
up on the issue, at least publicly. The reason behind this is recent
developments in Turkey, such as limited access to social media, press
freedoms and freedom of expression, a tighter grip on the judicial
system and certainly the issue of threatening to expel the US
ambassador to Turkey, Francis Ricciardone, over accusations of the US
being behind a "foreign plot" against the country following a graft
probe that implicated some members of the Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) at the end of last year.
Another expert who follows Turkish-American relations closely agreed
that Turkey has lost its weight in Washington. Talking to Sunday's
Zaman, the expert, who wished to remain anonymous, pointed out that
the resolution in the Senate committee had passed rather quickly when
compared with past Armenian resolutions. Secondly, the expert
emphasized the Turkish government's relatively muted reaction to the
resolution, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu saying he
did not think Obama would allow such a resolution to harm
Turkish-American relations.
The resolution was not on the US Senate's agenda on the last working
day before the Easter recess, on Friday. The Senate will reconvene on
April 28. Turks will focus on the statement to come from President
Obama on April 24 to see whether he will use the `g-word.' Obama has
so far refrained from describing the events of 1915 as genocide.
`It would be a mistake to think that after April 24 there is no risk
of this resolution coming to the Senate floor,' the same expert
warned. This runs contrary to Turkish reports suggesting that the
resolution will not be an issue when the Senate reconvenes after the
Easter recess on April 28.
Senator Reid is one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, and he seems
inclined to bring it to the floor, according to the expert.
The resolution (H. Res. 410) is `expressing the sense' of the Senate
on April 24, the day on which Armenians remember the events they
describe as genocide. Ankara denies claims that the 1915 events amount
to genocide, arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when
Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in
collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern
Anatolia.
The resolution calls on the Senate `to remember and observe the
anniversary of the Armenian genocide on April 24, 2014' and says the
US president `should work toward an equitable, constructive, stable,
and durable Armenian-Turkish relationship that includes the full
acknowledgement by Turkey of the facts about the Armenian genocide.'
`Transactional relations'
The expert on Turkish-American relations said the US describes its
relationship with Turkey as `transactional relations' at this time,
which could be interpreted as meaning, `We will talk about our needs,
but when something that is not in line with universal values happens
in Turkey, we will express our opinions about it.'
Ali Babacan, deputy prime minister responsible for economy, was in
Washington recently to attend the International Monetary Fund's (IMF)
annual spring meetings. The expert said Babacan had probably had a
good chance to assess how the US administration views Turkey at this
point, referring to Turkey's limits on press freedoms and bans on
social media.
According to this expert, the transactional relations with Turkey
include three important aspects for Washington: improving Turkey's
relations with Israel, reaching a solution for the long-divided island
of Cyprus, with the incentive of the natural gas that was found in the
region last year, and lastly the Syrian war.
After a Gaza-bound aid flotilla was attacked by Israeli forces in
March 2010, killing eight Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American,
Turkey downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel, with the Israeli
ambassador being expelled from Ankara in September 2011 after Israel
refused to apologize for the killings.
Israel formally apologized in 2013 for what it called `operational
mistakes' that might have led to the deaths of the victims. Turkey has
asked for three things from Israel in connection with the incident: an
apology, compensation for the victims' families and the lifting of the
Gaza blockade. Turkey and Israel are currently negotiating a
compensation deal, but an agreement has not yet been forthcoming.
In Cyprus, the US is pushing for a comprehensive solution. The leaders
of Turkish and Greek Cyprus met in Nicosia in early February and
resumed peace talks with the aim of reunifying the island.
Experts say that one of the most important incentives for restarting
the Cyprus negotiations is the natural gas in the area and the
billions of dollars that a gas deal would bring to those involved in
possible pipeline projects. The US administration backs an energy
partnership between Israel, Cyprus and Turkey to allow their mutual
energy dependency to help restore and maintain peace in the east
Mediterranean.
Relations with war-torn Syria are also a matter of concern for
Washington, with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an saying
Turkey is in a state of war with Syria. Foreign Minister DavutoÄ?lu
later clarified the statement from ErdoÄ?an, noting that the situation
in Syria is an extremely serious matter to which Turkey must pay close
attention.
"Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and fled from the
country. Turkey's borders have been violated many times. ¦ Turkey shot
down a Syrian military jet three weeks ago. That is why this is an
extremely serious matter that needs to be followed by Turkey. This is
what our prime minister means,' DavutoÄ?lu said on April 3.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-345607-turkeys-lobbying-power-in-washington-diminished.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
April 20 2014
Turkey's lobbying power in Washington diminished
April 20, 2014, Sunday/ 00:40:01/
DENÄ°Z ARSLAN/ ANKARA
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently passed a resolution
commemorating the "Armenian genocide," clearing the way for the
resolution to be voted on in the Senate, a sign of Turkey's diminished
lobbying power in the US capital.
A senior diplomat and expert on Turkish-American relations told
Sunday's Zaman that, if the resolution comes to the Senate floor, it
will be adopted, `without a doubt.'
"Turkey has no weight in Washington. Not anymore," said the diplomat,
who asked not to be named. The diplomat also added that only five
Republican Party members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
had voted against the resolution. Of the 18-member committee, 12 voted
for the resolution and one abstained during the voting on April 10.
The resolution had been introduced to the committee by Democratic
Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey one week before its adoption.
There was no Turkish ambassador present at the embassy building in
Washington at the time the resolution was accepted onto the agenda of
the Committee on Foreign Relations. Ambassador Serdar Kılıç had been
appointed to the post by the Turkish Foreign Ministry back in January,
replacing the seasoned diplomat Namık Tan. Kılıç arrived in
Washington, D.C., about the time the resolution passed in the
committee. Ambassador Tan had already left three weeks before Kılıç's
arrival. Kılıç reportedly came to Washington once, years ago, as a
diplomatic courier. However, he still needs to present his credentials
to US President Barack Obama before he starts working in Washington
officially.
With the support of Armenian lobby groups in the US, numerous
"Armenian genocide" resolutions have been introduced to the committees
of both chambers of the US Congress over the years. In the majority of
cases, Turkish lobby groups in the US capital have been able to defend
Turkey's policies, and the resolutions have not reached the US House
or Senate floor.
It will be the decision of Senate majority leader Harry Reid to take
the resolution onto the Senate's agenda. In the past the US
administration had interfered at the last minute by sending a letter
from the White House and the US State Department to members of
Congress and senators saying that passing a resolution recognizing the
"Armenian genocide" would damage the Turkish-US relationship and harm
US interests in the region.
According to sources who spoke to Sunday's Zaman, the expectation on
both the Turkish and American sides is that the resolution will not be
brought to the Senate floor, as Turkey is still too important for
American interests. But this time the US administration has not spoken
up on the issue, at least publicly. The reason behind this is recent
developments in Turkey, such as limited access to social media, press
freedoms and freedom of expression, a tighter grip on the judicial
system and certainly the issue of threatening to expel the US
ambassador to Turkey, Francis Ricciardone, over accusations of the US
being behind a "foreign plot" against the country following a graft
probe that implicated some members of the Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) at the end of last year.
Another expert who follows Turkish-American relations closely agreed
that Turkey has lost its weight in Washington. Talking to Sunday's
Zaman, the expert, who wished to remain anonymous, pointed out that
the resolution in the Senate committee had passed rather quickly when
compared with past Armenian resolutions. Secondly, the expert
emphasized the Turkish government's relatively muted reaction to the
resolution, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu saying he
did not think Obama would allow such a resolution to harm
Turkish-American relations.
The resolution was not on the US Senate's agenda on the last working
day before the Easter recess, on Friday. The Senate will reconvene on
April 28. Turks will focus on the statement to come from President
Obama on April 24 to see whether he will use the `g-word.' Obama has
so far refrained from describing the events of 1915 as genocide.
`It would be a mistake to think that after April 24 there is no risk
of this resolution coming to the Senate floor,' the same expert
warned. This runs contrary to Turkish reports suggesting that the
resolution will not be an issue when the Senate reconvenes after the
Easter recess on April 28.
Senator Reid is one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, and he seems
inclined to bring it to the floor, according to the expert.
The resolution (H. Res. 410) is `expressing the sense' of the Senate
on April 24, the day on which Armenians remember the events they
describe as genocide. Ankara denies claims that the 1915 events amount
to genocide, arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when
Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in
collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern
Anatolia.
The resolution calls on the Senate `to remember and observe the
anniversary of the Armenian genocide on April 24, 2014' and says the
US president `should work toward an equitable, constructive, stable,
and durable Armenian-Turkish relationship that includes the full
acknowledgement by Turkey of the facts about the Armenian genocide.'
`Transactional relations'
The expert on Turkish-American relations said the US describes its
relationship with Turkey as `transactional relations' at this time,
which could be interpreted as meaning, `We will talk about our needs,
but when something that is not in line with universal values happens
in Turkey, we will express our opinions about it.'
Ali Babacan, deputy prime minister responsible for economy, was in
Washington recently to attend the International Monetary Fund's (IMF)
annual spring meetings. The expert said Babacan had probably had a
good chance to assess how the US administration views Turkey at this
point, referring to Turkey's limits on press freedoms and bans on
social media.
According to this expert, the transactional relations with Turkey
include three important aspects for Washington: improving Turkey's
relations with Israel, reaching a solution for the long-divided island
of Cyprus, with the incentive of the natural gas that was found in the
region last year, and lastly the Syrian war.
After a Gaza-bound aid flotilla was attacked by Israeli forces in
March 2010, killing eight Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American,
Turkey downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel, with the Israeli
ambassador being expelled from Ankara in September 2011 after Israel
refused to apologize for the killings.
Israel formally apologized in 2013 for what it called `operational
mistakes' that might have led to the deaths of the victims. Turkey has
asked for three things from Israel in connection with the incident: an
apology, compensation for the victims' families and the lifting of the
Gaza blockade. Turkey and Israel are currently negotiating a
compensation deal, but an agreement has not yet been forthcoming.
In Cyprus, the US is pushing for a comprehensive solution. The leaders
of Turkish and Greek Cyprus met in Nicosia in early February and
resumed peace talks with the aim of reunifying the island.
Experts say that one of the most important incentives for restarting
the Cyprus negotiations is the natural gas in the area and the
billions of dollars that a gas deal would bring to those involved in
possible pipeline projects. The US administration backs an energy
partnership between Israel, Cyprus and Turkey to allow their mutual
energy dependency to help restore and maintain peace in the east
Mediterranean.
Relations with war-torn Syria are also a matter of concern for
Washington, with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an saying
Turkey is in a state of war with Syria. Foreign Minister DavutoÄ?lu
later clarified the statement from ErdoÄ?an, noting that the situation
in Syria is an extremely serious matter to which Turkey must pay close
attention.
"Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and fled from the
country. Turkey's borders have been violated many times. ¦ Turkey shot
down a Syrian military jet three weeks ago. That is why this is an
extremely serious matter that needs to be followed by Turkey. This is
what our prime minister means,' DavutoÄ?lu said on April 3.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-345607-turkeys-lobbying-power-in-washington-diminished.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress