HR 106 FALLOUT: TURKEY RECALLS US AMBASSADOR
- Angered by a US congressional committee’s support of a proposed resolution affirming the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has recalled its ambassador to the United States, Nabi Sensoy. The strong US ally, and historic enemy of Armenia, has also threatened to withdraw its support of the US in the war in Iraq. Though not explicitly stated, the threat is likely a reference to the US using a Turkish airbase as a rendezvous point of delivery for shipments in and out of Iraq. Also in the Turkish capital, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned US Ambassador Ross Wilson to the ministry, presumably to officially state the government’s displeasure. Wilson released a statement assuring continued good US-Turkey relations, adding that he, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President George W. Bush were themselves unhappy with the Committee’s vote.
Among many displays of displeasure over the US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s 27-21 vote on HR 106 (see: “Big Step Closer”), Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that an official US condemnation by calling the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-17 “genocide” would damage Turkish-US relations, would cause further deterioration of understanding between Turks and Armenians, and would “only benefit the Armenian Diaspora”.
US military leadership warns that a breakdown of relations with Turkey resulting from passing the resolution “could disrupt America's ability to redeploy U.S. military forces from Iraq," according to a letter sent by Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Committee chairman Tom Lantos played down Turkey’s threats, telling CNN: "The Turkish government will not act against the United States because that would be against their own interests. I'm convinced of this."
The CNN interview – one of several that has made the Genocide issue major news (though noticeably lacking any footage from Armenia) – referred to the Committee’s vote as “restoring America’s moral authority”.
Indeed, Lantos (from California) took the high ground in replying to Turkey’s outrage: “When Turkey says there was no genocide of Armenians, we have to set them straight”, the chairman said.
While official Ankara seethed, and citizens demonstrated (including painting a Turkish flag onto the US Embassy in Ankara), there was little noticeable public reaction in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. Officials including President Robert Kocharyan (on business in Brussels) made statements, however there were no “counter-rallies” to the angered neighbors in Turkey.
Meanwhile in Washington, Pelosi pledged to get House Resolution 106 onto the floor for a vote.
“I said if it comes out of committee, it will go to the floor,” she told reporters. “Now it has come out of committee, and it will go to the floor.”
Pelosi’s pledge drew praise from the Armenian Assembly of America, Armenia’s oldest lobbying group, and a leader in campaigns to bring the resolution to Congress.
"We applaud Speaker Pelosi for standing firm on her commitment to history and truth," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "The opponents of this common-sense resolution - including the White House and the Turkish government and its army of lobbyists - have thrown every excuse at the resolution trying to create a political tsunami to prevent a vote. The entire Armenian-American community stands united with Speaker Pelosi and commends her for standing firm in the face of this alarmist drumbeat and outright blackmail by Turkey and its deniers.”
HR 106 FALLOUT: TURKEY RECALLS US AMBASSADOR
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