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Daily Sabah, Turkey
June 14 2014
US CONGRESS TO CONSIDER ANTI-TURKEY BILL UNDER SHADOW OF MOSUL CRISIS
Ragıp Soylu
WASHINGTON, D.C. ` The U.S. House of Representative's Committee on
foreign affairs will discuss a draft bill requiring the Secretary of
State John Kerry to provide an annual report on confiscated Christian
properties in Turkey, next week. The move comes in the midst of the
abducted Turkish diplomats crisis in Mosul and the rapid escalation of
violence in Iraq led by the militant jihadist group, Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The current crisis necessitates a closer
Turkish-American cooperation than ever before but, the ill-timed
debate at the U.S. Congress presents a clear case of misplaced
priorities by American lawmakers. The so-called "Turkey Christian
Churches Accountability Act" is attempting to monitor the United
States' efforts to survey and secure the unreturned Christian
properties in Turkey and northern Cyprus which the act describes as
"occupied by the Turkish military." The sponsor of the bill is senior
member of the Republican Party Ed Royce, who is also the chairman of
the committee.
Royce has recently become more critical of the Turkish government and
he even penned a letter to the Economist magazine on Friday slamming
Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an for "causing American lawmakers to question the
Turkish-American relationship." Democrat Congressman Eliot Engel is
also pushing the bill forward by supporting the hearing and makeup
process which will take place on June 18. Sources from the Turkish
government told Daily Sabah that H.R. 347 is another initiative to
distract the American government from the crucial issues that Turkey
and the U.S. are working together on, such as the growing Syrian
catastrophe and recent Iraqi crisis.
Officials tend to blame Armenian and Greek lobbies for seeking
meaningless revenge for Turkey's historical reminisces as the reason
for pressing this act. The Armenian National Committee of America has
already begun to conduct a campaign aimed at its followers, calling
them to urge their representatives to support the bill. "The main
inconsistency with this act is Turkey is already returning confiscated
Christian properties to their owners," said the source. With a law
being passed in 2011, Turkey's General Directorate for Foundations is
returning the properties belonging to Christian and Jewish minorities
that were registered with the Turkish government in 1936.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an announced last summer that Turkey
gave over $2.5 billion (TL 4.25 billion) worth of property back to
foundations belonging to Christian and Jewish minorities in two years.
Officials also stressed the importance of ongoing delicate
negotiations between Greek and Turkish parties in Cyprus and warned
Congress that any new act on this issue can change the balance and
force parties to quit. "We have been talking to congressmen for a
while and most of them are not aware what this bill means for Turkey.
Armenian and Greek lobbies are just pressuring these people by using
their base and don't think of the major foreign implications for both
countries. They won't stop until they get what they want," the source
stated.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/06/14/us-congress-to-consider-antiturkey-bill-under-shadow-of-mosul-crisis
June 14 2014
US CONGRESS TO CONSIDER ANTI-TURKEY BILL UNDER SHADOW OF MOSUL CRISIS
Ragıp Soylu
WASHINGTON, D.C. ` The U.S. House of Representative's Committee on
foreign affairs will discuss a draft bill requiring the Secretary of
State John Kerry to provide an annual report on confiscated Christian
properties in Turkey, next week. The move comes in the midst of the
abducted Turkish diplomats crisis in Mosul and the rapid escalation of
violence in Iraq led by the militant jihadist group, Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The current crisis necessitates a closer
Turkish-American cooperation than ever before but, the ill-timed
debate at the U.S. Congress presents a clear case of misplaced
priorities by American lawmakers. The so-called "Turkey Christian
Churches Accountability Act" is attempting to monitor the United
States' efforts to survey and secure the unreturned Christian
properties in Turkey and northern Cyprus which the act describes as
"occupied by the Turkish military." The sponsor of the bill is senior
member of the Republican Party Ed Royce, who is also the chairman of
the committee.
Royce has recently become more critical of the Turkish government and
he even penned a letter to the Economist magazine on Friday slamming
Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an for "causing American lawmakers to question the
Turkish-American relationship." Democrat Congressman Eliot Engel is
also pushing the bill forward by supporting the hearing and makeup
process which will take place on June 18. Sources from the Turkish
government told Daily Sabah that H.R. 347 is another initiative to
distract the American government from the crucial issues that Turkey
and the U.S. are working together on, such as the growing Syrian
catastrophe and recent Iraqi crisis.
Officials tend to blame Armenian and Greek lobbies for seeking
meaningless revenge for Turkey's historical reminisces as the reason
for pressing this act. The Armenian National Committee of America has
already begun to conduct a campaign aimed at its followers, calling
them to urge their representatives to support the bill. "The main
inconsistency with this act is Turkey is already returning confiscated
Christian properties to their owners," said the source. With a law
being passed in 2011, Turkey's General Directorate for Foundations is
returning the properties belonging to Christian and Jewish minorities
that were registered with the Turkish government in 1936.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an announced last summer that Turkey
gave over $2.5 billion (TL 4.25 billion) worth of property back to
foundations belonging to Christian and Jewish minorities in two years.
Officials also stressed the importance of ongoing delicate
negotiations between Greek and Turkish parties in Cyprus and warned
Congress that any new act on this issue can change the balance and
force parties to quit. "We have been talking to congressmen for a
while and most of them are not aware what this bill means for Turkey.
Armenian and Greek lobbies are just pressuring these people by using
their base and don't think of the major foreign implications for both
countries. They won't stop until they get what they want," the source
stated.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/06/14/us-congress-to-consider-antiturkey-bill-under-shadow-of-mosul-crisis