Ankara readies group to fight 'genocide' resolution
21 February 2007
The New Anatolian / Ankara
The Turkish Parliament has assembled its team to fight against the so-called Armenian genocide resolution before the U.S. House of Representatives.
Turkish deputies were set to lobby in the U.S. against the resolution, but the delegation's visit was postponed in order to assess the outcome of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Chief of General Yasar Buyukanit's recent talks with American officials.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen accused the government last month of acting alone in actions against the Armenian genocide claims and stated that government didn't invite CHP deputies to visit the U.S.
A diplomatic source said that while the first group of deputies will start a one-week visit to the U.S. this Sunday, a second group will follow on March 11. The last group is planning to go later next month.
The CHP delegation includes Haluk Koc, Mehmet Nessar, Onur Oymen, Sukru Elekdag, Bihlun Tamayligul, Ersin Arioglu while the Justice and Development Party delegation covers Egemen Bagis, Omer Celik, Yasar Yakis, Murat Mercan, Saban Disli, Necdet Budak, Reha Denemec, Muzaffer Gulyurt, and Mehmet Dulger.
Diplomatic sources said that Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) will organize meetings in the U.S. with the participation of 30 Turkish deputies.
The resolution, which claims that 1.5 million Armenians were killed almost a century ago in what it describes as genocide, is likely to draw protests from Turkey. The Bush administration has warned that even congressional debate on the genocide question could damage relations with a vital Muslim ally and member of NATO.
Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission head Dulger told The New Anatolian earlier that they are preparing documents for a U.S. visit. "There are different perspectives on the so-called Armenian genocide," he added. "We will convey our views to our American counterparts. We are preparing our documents regarding economic, social, political and historical factors."
Turkey strongly opposes the claims that its predecessor state, the Ottoman government, caused the Armenian deaths in a planned genocide. The Turkish government has said the toll is wildly inflated and that Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest during the empire's collapse and the World War I conditions. Ankara's proposal to Yerevan to set up a joint commission of historians to study the events of 1915 is still awaiting a positive response from the Armenian side.
After French lawmakers voted last October to make it a crime to deny that the claims were genocide, Turkey said it would suspend military relations with France. Turkey provides vital support to U.S. military operations. Incirlik Air Force Base, a major base in southern Turkey.
In related news, the Washington Times warned yesterday that passage of the Armenian genocide resolution would hurt ties between Turkey and U.S.
Passage of the resolution has "the potential to damage our current ability to maintain Turkey's cooperation in stabilizing Iraq, where upwards of 140,000 American troops are stationed, and to do grave damage to our relationship with an ally of long standing, a country that has long been a bulwark against regional rogue states like Syria," stated the right-wing daily, which has been periodically critical of Turkey. "For many years, Turkey was the only Muslim nation in the Middle East to have trade and diplomatic relations with Israel.
The daily stated that the U.S. needs to be working more closely with both Kurdish friends in Iraq and Turkish allies. "But Mrs. Pelosi seems more interested in playing ethnic politics in order to score some cheap political points and win additional votes," it commented.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
The New Anatolian / Ankara
The Turkish Parliament has assembled its team to fight against the so-called Armenian genocide resolution before the U.S. House of Representatives.
Turkish deputies were set to lobby in the U.S. against the resolution, but the delegation's visit was postponed in order to assess the outcome of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Chief of General Yasar Buyukanit's recent talks with American officials.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen accused the government last month of acting alone in actions against the Armenian genocide claims and stated that government didn't invite CHP deputies to visit the U.S.
A diplomatic source said that while the first group of deputies will start a one-week visit to the U.S. this Sunday, a second group will follow on March 11. The last group is planning to go later next month.
The CHP delegation includes Haluk Koc, Mehmet Nessar, Onur Oymen, Sukru Elekdag, Bihlun Tamayligul, Ersin Arioglu while the Justice and Development Party delegation covers Egemen Bagis, Omer Celik, Yasar Yakis, Murat Mercan, Saban Disli, Necdet Budak, Reha Denemec, Muzaffer Gulyurt, and Mehmet Dulger.
Diplomatic sources said that Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) will organize meetings in the U.S. with the participation of 30 Turkish deputies.
The resolution, which claims that 1.5 million Armenians were killed almost a century ago in what it describes as genocide, is likely to draw protests from Turkey. The Bush administration has warned that even congressional debate on the genocide question could damage relations with a vital Muslim ally and member of NATO.
Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission head Dulger told The New Anatolian earlier that they are preparing documents for a U.S. visit. "There are different perspectives on the so-called Armenian genocide," he added. "We will convey our views to our American counterparts. We are preparing our documents regarding economic, social, political and historical factors."
Turkey strongly opposes the claims that its predecessor state, the Ottoman government, caused the Armenian deaths in a planned genocide. The Turkish government has said the toll is wildly inflated and that Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest during the empire's collapse and the World War I conditions. Ankara's proposal to Yerevan to set up a joint commission of historians to study the events of 1915 is still awaiting a positive response from the Armenian side.
After French lawmakers voted last October to make it a crime to deny that the claims were genocide, Turkey said it would suspend military relations with France. Turkey provides vital support to U.S. military operations. Incirlik Air Force Base, a major base in southern Turkey.
In related news, the Washington Times warned yesterday that passage of the Armenian genocide resolution would hurt ties between Turkey and U.S.
Passage of the resolution has "the potential to damage our current ability to maintain Turkey's cooperation in stabilizing Iraq, where upwards of 140,000 American troops are stationed, and to do grave damage to our relationship with an ally of long standing, a country that has long been a bulwark against regional rogue states like Syria," stated the right-wing daily, which has been periodically critical of Turkey. "For many years, Turkey was the only Muslim nation in the Middle East to have trade and diplomatic relations with Israel.
The daily stated that the U.S. needs to be working more closely with both Kurdish friends in Iraq and Turkish allies. "But Mrs. Pelosi seems more interested in playing ethnic politics in order to score some cheap political points and win additional votes," it commented.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 7:13 PM
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