U.S. in war of words with Turkey
Sunday, April 29th 2007
DAILY NEWS
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Armenian genocide tag'll cost us Iraq supply lines, pols {in Turkey} say
WASHINGTON - Turkish lawmakers are threatening to cut off essential supply lines to U.S. forces in Iraq if Congress officially blames Turkey for the Armenian genocide of 1915, Turkish and U.S. officials tell the Daily News.
"It's not subtle. They outright threaten to do it, and even have soldiers calling congressmen saying, 'You're going to cut us off if you do that,'" said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.
Armenian-Americans have long lobbied for official recognition of the atrocities committed in Turkish Armenia during World War I, but it's likely the resolution may finally come up for a House vote because of the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"It would be an insult to Turkey, and it would not be helpful," warned Egeman Bagis, a member of the Turkish parliament and foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.
Egeman pointed out that "at least 60% of the supplies that go to U.S. forces in Iraq now pass through Turkey." Asked whether NATO member Turkey would actually cut off those supply lines, he said, "It could happen."
But the Armenian movement is growing. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't wait for Congress, proclaiming last week "Days of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."
Egeman insists Turkey will open its archives to show it was not genocide, but scholars and many European nations agree that a {one and a} half-million Armenians perished under orders from the Ottoman Empire.
About two dozen countries recognize the Armenian genocide, according to the Armenian National Institute. Every time the issue comes up, Turkey threatens to cut off relations or trade. It made similar threats to Canada and France when they officially recognized the genocide, but relations have since normalized.
"Genocide is a universal problem that is not going away. If you don't remember genocide, it emboldens the perpetrators, and it occurs again and again," said George Shirinian, director of the Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research and Documentation.
kbazinet@nydailynews.com
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.
DAILY NEWS
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Armenian genocide tag'll cost us Iraq supply lines, pols {in Turkey} say
WASHINGTON - Turkish lawmakers are threatening to cut off essential supply lines to U.S. forces in Iraq if Congress officially blames Turkey for the Armenian genocide of 1915, Turkish and U.S. officials tell the Daily News.
"It's not subtle. They outright threaten to do it, and even have soldiers calling congressmen saying, 'You're going to cut us off if you do that,'" said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.
Armenian-Americans have long lobbied for official recognition of the atrocities committed in Turkish Armenia during World War I, but it's likely the resolution may finally come up for a House vote because of the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"It would be an insult to Turkey, and it would not be helpful," warned Egeman Bagis, a member of the Turkish parliament and foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.
Egeman pointed out that "at least 60% of the supplies that go to U.S. forces in Iraq now pass through Turkey." Asked whether NATO member Turkey would actually cut off those supply lines, he said, "It could happen."
But the Armenian movement is growing. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't wait for Congress, proclaiming last week "Days of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."
Egeman insists Turkey will open its archives to show it was not genocide, but scholars and many European nations agree that a {one and a} half-million Armenians perished under orders from the Ottoman Empire.
About two dozen countries recognize the Armenian genocide, according to the Armenian National Institute. Every time the issue comes up, Turkey threatens to cut off relations or trade. It made similar threats to Canada and France when they officially recognized the genocide, but relations have since normalized.
"Genocide is a universal problem that is not going away. If you don't remember genocide, it emboldens the perpetrators, and it occurs again and again," said George Shirinian, director of the Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research and Documentation.
kbazinet@nydailynews.com
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.
Labels: Turkey anti-Genocide Recognition Threats, USA and the Armenian Genocide Recognition
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