Noyan Tapan
Nov 16, 2007
ADANA, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. In one of the prisons of Adana the
actors of the Chukurova's Center of Culture and Art have staged the
"Yell: the tale of the so-called Armenian Genocide" performance.
As the Turkish press reports, the performance has been staged within
the frameworks of the cultural events organized by the management of
the prison for the prisoners.
Idris Shahin, the Head of the Chukurova's Center of Culture and Art,
declared that the above-mentioned performance "telling about the
tale of the Armenian Genocide" will also be performed in a number of
villages of Turkey.
Monday, November 19, 2007
TURKEY CARRIES OUT PROPAGANDA AGAINST FACT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EVEN IN PRISONS OF COUNTRY
TURKEY'S NEW ENVOY SAYS GENOCIDE TALK IS HARMFUL
By Bridget Johnson Staff Writer
The Daily News of Los Angeles
November 11, 2007 Sunday
VALLEY EDITION
INTERVIEW: DIPLOMAT IN L.A. BELIEVES FOCUS ON PAST PREVENTS
RECONCILIATION WITH ARMENIA.
U.S. lawmakers should not fixate on the Armenian Genocide bill, which
is an insult to many Turks and a roadblock to reconciliation between
Turkey and the Armenian community, the new Turkish consul general in
Los Angeles said.
In a recent interview with the Daily News, R. Hakan Tekin said his
country strongly objects to the Armenian Genocide legislation that
passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs last month, which labels
as genocide the killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during
World War I.
The committee's 27-21 vote has raised ire in Turkey and was slammed
by some U.S. lawmakers and commentators for the potential harm it
might do to U.S. relations with Turkey, a longtime strategic ally of
America and NATO partner.
Turkey briefly pulled its U.S. ambassador, Nabi Sensoy, back to Ankara
after the vote.
"It certainly had an effect on our bilateral relations," Tekin said
of the bill, which was shelved late last month under increasing
political pressure.
"It's about our history and it's about, in our opinion, a misreading
of our history... To many of us, it's even insulting. ...
"We don't know now where it will end," Tekin said Wednesday at the
Wilshire Boulevard consulate.
Turkey severed military ties with France after that country's lower
house passed a bill last year making it a crime to deny the Armenian
killings were genocide.
Tekin, who assumed the consul general post six months ago and oversees
12 Western states, said lawmakers should not "legislate history." He
noted that in 2005 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked
Armenian President Robert Kocharian to form a joint commission of
historians to study the disputed 1915 events, a proposal that has
not been accepted.
"We are not scared of our history, and we are not trying to hide
anything," Tekin said. "And if this commission is established,
we will accept whatever result it reaches. ... It is (time for)
the Armenian side to make a move."
Tekin believes it is the size and influence of the U.S. Armenian
community that has kept the issue alive.
"Why are the Armenian events of 1915 brought to the Congress of the
U.S.?" he asked. "Because there is a strong Armenian voting bloc in
the country.
"Why is not, for instance, the massacres in Kenya carried out by the
then-British imperial government not brought to the Congress? Because
there are no Kenyan voters here.
"When you politicize history, you pick and choose and you lose
objectivity, and then you are prone to the pressures of narrow group
interests."
Tekin also said Armenians in Armenia appear less focused on the past
than the Armenian diaspora.
"It doesn't seem that for the Armenians of Armenia proper, it carries
that much priority ... because Armenia now has much more serious
problems for day-to-day life," he said.
Unfortunately, he said, continued lobbying by Armenian groups in
the U.S. on claims that the Turks slaughtered more than 1 million
Armenians from 1915 to 1918 hurts chances at reconciliation.
"And that's really sad, in my opinion, because both countries,
Turkey and Armenia, have a lot to gain to improve their relations,
to establish normal relations in our region," he said. "We need that."
When asked about the potential of the resolution to revive hostilities
between the two communities, Tekin brought up the history of
assassinations of Turkish diplomats in Los Angeles: Consul General
Mehmet Baydar and his deputy, Bahadir Demir, slain in 1973 by Gourgen
Yanikian at a Santa Barbara hotel; and Consul General Kemal Arikan,
shot to death by Harry Sassounian and a second gunman in Westwood
in 1982.
A group calling itself Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide
claimed responsibility at the time for Arikan's slaying.
"(It) has been ignored by many people here that two of my predecessors
... have been killed by Armenian terrorists here in Los Angeles, and
nobody speaks about that," Tekin said. Black-and-white portraits of
the three slain men adorn the wall outside the door to Tekin's office.
The consul general now receives special protection from the State
Department, Tekin said.
Still, Tekin said Turks and Armenians have a lot in common: They are
bonded not only by a border, but by cultural similarities as well.
"In a thousand years, maybe we had this trouble period of 20 years,
15 years, and the result here is a hostility," he said. "In Turkey,
we don't preach hatred toward Armenia."
Armenian Genocide denial campaign reached Turkish prisons
16.11.2007 20:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A performance titled `Tales about so-called Armenian
Genocide' was staged in a prison in Adana, Turkish media reports. The
performance was shown in the framework of cultural events for
prisoners and will be also staged in some Turkish villages, Yerkir
reports.
Greenway park plaque will mention Armenian genocide
Greenway park plaque will mention Armenian genocide
Final wording to be determined by city, Turnpike Authority
By Thomas C. Palmer Jr.
Globe Staff / November 17, 2007
A park being donated for the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway by the
nonprofit Armenian Heritage Foundation will include a plaque that
refers to all immigrant groups but also makes an explicit reference
to the Armenian genocide of the early 20th century.
more stories like thisWording suggesting the park commemorates the
1.5 million deaths of Armenians around 1915 at the hands of Turks
contradicts the intentions of planners over the last decade, who
insisted the Greenway not be politicized or be a place for statues,
plaques, or memorials.
Although the wording for a plaque is not final, officials of the
Mayor's Central Artery Completion Task Force, an influential advisory
group, acknowledged at a meeting this week that the specific historic
event would be mentioned.
Nearly 100 years after it occurred, the Armenian genocide remains an
intensely emotional issue. Turkey, an ally of the United States in a
part of the world where the United States has few friends, rejects
the term genocide. The Turkish government has said a proposed
congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide would
severely damage US relations.
In Boston, the final say on the plaque will be made by the
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the City of Boston, which both
support the proposed wording. The city and the agency are negotiating
with the task force and the Armenian Heritage Foundation, a local
group that is sponsoring the park, on the project.
The park and plaque are the result of a campaign by the local
Armenian community since 2000 to find a Boston location for a
commemoration of their ancestors. Because the gift of a park was
opposed by some planners and community activists, the plaque's
proposed wording has been broadened to refer to the diverse set of
immigrant groups that, like the Armenians, sought refuge in the
Boston area.
One objection has been that the Armenian Heritage Foundation did not
follow the specific public process for Greenway proposals approved by
the Federal Highway Administration.
"I would like to go on record that this is not acceptable as a
process," Anne Fanton, a member of the task force, said Thursday. "We
want to be certain that this never happens again."
The proposed park, with a 60-foot-diameter paved labyrinth, a
sculpture, and water jet and reflecting pool, has been hailed as
inspired in design and supported by many in the North End community.
The issue of the plaque's wording surfaced several times during a
Thursday meeting on the park. North End community leader Nancy Caruso
said she understood from previous private meetings that the park
would be dedicated to all immigrants but not have a specific
reference to the genocide.
But, asked specifically whether there would be mention of the words
"Armenian genocide," task force cochairman Rob Tuchmann said, "There
will be."
James M. Kalustian, representing the Armenian Heritage Foundation,
the group sponsoring the park, agreed. "The current wording as being
discussed includes a reference to the Armenian genocide," he said.
Yesterday, Erkut Gomulu, president of the Turkish American Cultural
Society of New England, who has opposed placement of the park on the
Greenway, said any plaque should not reference a specific group's
history.
"It's supposed to be inclusive of all communities, right?" he said.
"It's claimed it will not be a memorial. On the other hand it will
have 'genocide' in the wording."
The board of the conservancy that will assume responsibility for
operating the Greenway once it's completed has called for a
moratorium of at least five years on any memorials.
"An awful lot of people have worked hard to try to get to a place
that works for everyone," said conservancy chairman Peter Meade. "We
want the Greenway to become a noncontroversial place where everybody
in our community is welcomed."
But Meade's organization does not have an active role in the
discussion.
Tuchmann said he did not consider the park or the plaque a memorial.
Genie Beal, a member of the task force and chair of the board of the
Boston Natural Areas Fund, yesterday agreed.
"It says 'Armenian genocide' in the last line. I think that's a good
solution," said Beal. "It's not a memorial, it's a 'thank you' " to
the foundation for the gift of a park.
AXA to pay descendants of victims of the Armenian genocide - report
11.18.07, 2:31 PM ET
PARIS (Thomson Financial) - Insurance company AXA will on Monday make
the first of a series of payments to descendants of victims of the
Armenian genocide, Le Parisien reported.
The company will pay 1 mln usd to three Franco-Armenian charity
organisations, the report said.
In total, around 14.5 mln usd will go to descendants of people who
took out life insurance policies in what is now Turkey, before 1915.
A further 3 mln usd will go to humanitarian and educational
organisations.
All the payments are due to be made by the end of 2008, the paper
reported.
Human Rights Supporters Condemn Congresswoman Harman For Genocide Denial At
Los Angeles, CA - Over one hundred and fifty human right supporters, led by
the Armenian Student Association and the Armenian Graduate Student
Association at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) organized a
demonstration on Saturday, November 10, 2007 on their campus to highlight
the genocide denial being practiced by Los Angeles area Congresswoman Jane
Harman (D-CA-36). Last month it was revealed that Harman had secretly
issued a letter in opposition to the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res.
106), while publicly being listed as a supporter of the measure.
Expressing solidarity with the demonstrators were representatives of the
Darfur Action Committee and Members of both the UCLA Undergraduate and
Graduate Student Governments. A number of media outlets covered the
protest, which included a broad cross-section of human rights supporters,
young and old, who were united in their belief that Harman's deceitful
actions on the genocide bill fall far beneath even the most basic ethical
standards that her constituents have a right to expect.
Harman was at UCLA to be honored by the Dashew Center for International
Students and Scholars. Sources indicate that Congresswoman Harman and the
Dashews have a decades old relationship, as evidenced by Congressional
remarks on September 10, 1996 and involved participation in Dashew Center
events in 1998 and 2001. At the event, Harman was awarded the Jacoby
International Award, though it was not made clear why she was being granted
this little known honor. As onlookers watched, a number of Turkish students
attended the Dashew event to express their solidarity with the
Congresswoman.
"Jane Harman should be ashamed of herself," commented UCLA AGSA Executive
Officer Raffi Kassabian. "As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, for her
to argue that the 'time is not right to recognize the Armenian Genocide' is
outrageous. Clearly, Jane believes it is better for Congress to remain
silent in the face of Turkish denials and threats. Her failure to speak
truth to power is immoral and, quite frankly, an embarrassment," he added.
Last month, Harman was the focus of a demonstration that shut down a
political event in Lakewood, California. The Lakewood event brought
together over one hundred activists from the Armenian Youth Federation who
hail from in and around the 36th Congressional District represented by
Harman. Human rights champions in the Los Angeles area have vowed to
highlight Harman's immoral position on the Armenian Genocide at all public
events she attends in California and elsewhere. To date, thousands of
emails have been sent to her legislative aides to convey their disgust with
the Congresswoman's denial of the Armenian Genocide and opposition to H.
Res. 106.
The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization. Working
through a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the US and
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.
TURKEY'S NEW ENVOY SAYS GENOCIDE BILL IMPEDES RECONCILIATION
By Bridget Johnson, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Nov 11 2007
U.S. lawmakers should not fixate on the Armenian Genocide bill, which
is an insult to many Turks and a roadblock to reconciliation between
Turkey and the Armenian community, the new Turkish consul general in
Los Angeles said.
In a recent interview with the Daily News, R. Hakan Tekin said his
country strongly objects to the Armenian Genocide legislation that
passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs last month, which labels
as genocide the killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during
World War I.
The committee's 27-21 vote has raised ire in Turkey and was slammed
by some U.S. lawmakers and commentators for the potential harm it
might do to U.S. relations with Turkey, a longtime strategic ally of
America and NATO partner.
Turkey briefly pulled its U.S. ambassador, Nabi Sensoy, back to Ankara
after the vote.
"It certainly had an effect on our bilateral relations," Tekin said
of the bill, which was shelved late last month under increasing
political pressure.
"It's about our history and it's about, in our opinion, a misreading
of our history... To many of us, it's even insulting. ...
"We don't know now where it will end," Tekin said Wednesday at the
Wilshire Boulevard consulate.
Turkey severed military ties with France after that country's lower
house passed a bill last year making it a crime to deny the Armenian
killings were genocide.
Tekin, who assumed the consul general post six months ago and oversees
12 Western states, said lawmakers should not "legislate history." He
noted that in 2005 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked
Armenian President Robert Kocharian to form a joint commission of
historians to study the disputed 1915 events, a proposal that has
not been accepted.
"We are not scared of our history, and we are not trying to hide
anything," Tekin said. "And if this commission is established,
we will accept whatever result it reaches. ... It is (time for)
the Armenian side to make a move."
Tekin believes it is the size and influence of the U.S. Armenian
community that has kept the issue alive.
"Why are the Armenian events of 1915 brought to the Congress of the
U.S.?" he asked. "Because there is a strong Armenian voting bloc in
the country.
"Why is not, for instance, the massacres in Kenya carried out by the
then-British imperial government not brought to the Congress? Because
there are no Kenyan voters here.
"When you politicize history, you pick and choose and you lose
objectivity, and then you are prone to the pressures of narrow group
interests."
Tekin also said Armenians in Armenia appear less focused on the past
than the Armenian diaspora.
"It doesn't seem that for the Armenians of Armenia proper, it carries
that much priority ... because Armenia now has much more serious
problems for day-to-day life," he said.
Unfortunately, he said, continued lobbying by Armenian groups in
the U.S. on claims that the Turks slaughtered more than 1 million
Armenians from 1915 to 1918 hurts chances at reconciliation.
"And that's really sad, in my opinion, because both countries,
Turkey and Armenia, have a lot to gain to improve their relations,
to establish normal relations in our region," he said. "We need that."
When asked about the potential of the resolution to revive hostilities
between the two communities, Tekin brought up the history of
assassinations of Turkish diplomats in Los Angeles: Consul General
Mehmet Baydar and his deputy, Bahadir Demir, slain in 1973 by Gourgen
Yanikian at a Santa Barbara hotel; and Consul General Kemal Arikan,
shot to death by Harry Sassounian and a second gunman in Westwood
in 1982.
A group calling itself Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide
claimed responsibility at the time for Arikan's slaying.
"(It) has been ignored by many people here that two of my predecessors
... have been killed by Armenian terrorists here in Los Angeles, and
nobody speaks about that," Tekin said. Black-and-white portraits of
the three slain men adorn the wall outside the door to Tekin's office.
The consul general now receives special protection from the State
Department, Tekin said.
Still, Tekin said Turks and Armenians have a lot in common: They are
bonded not only by a border, but by cultural similarities as well.
"In a thousand years, maybe we had this trouble period of 20 years,
15 years, and the result here is a hostility," he said. "In Turkey,
we don't preach hatred toward Armenia."
EXPLAINING THE FATE OF THE 'GENOCIDE RESOLUTION'
David Merahn
Turkish Daily News
Nov 12 2007
The past few weeks have shown a dramatic turn around in one of
the most contentious issues facing American-Turkish relations: the
so-called Armenian Genocide resolution. After the Oct. 10 vote in
the Committee of Foreign Affairs, it looked like the resolution was
on a path towards a general vote in the House of Representatives.
Turkish officials were outraged, and sympathetic Americans railed
against the measure on the floor of Congress. Then, all of a sudden,
the resolution found its support decreasing, as many Representatives,
including co-sponsors began to drop out. From outside Congress, this
seemed like a dramatic and sudden turn around. The media seemed to
lack a cohesive explanation, and other stories, mostly surrounding
Turkey's southern border, distracted from the issue.
On the surface it looks like that if this resolution were ever going
to succeed it would have been now; the Speaker of the House, who sets
its agenda, is Nancy Pelosi. She is from California, a state that
has a substantial and powerful Armenian constituency. Yet discussions
with three leaders in congress, Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Texas),
Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-Kentucky) and Congressman Robert Wexler
(D-Florida), reveals why this resolution needed to be defeated and
the multifaceted effort that was executed to ensure that it was -
efforts taken by both those in Turkey and the US.
These discussions revealed that on the larger scale Turkey's reaction
was extremely important. Initially many criticized Turkey for the
threatened actions, which would weaken both the U.S. and Turkey
itself. However, as Rep. Whitfield points out "while it sounds tough,
Turkey was right to speak out, there is no reason for [the resolution]
to pass. Prime Minister Erdoðan is a mature and measured leader,
and I believe he wouldn't put our continued work together at risk."
Turkey's aggressive reaction, which included governmental threats
accompanied by civilian protests, demonstrated the importance of the
issue in Turkey, an importance of which many in the U.S. were unaware.
The measure was also opposed by informed and powerful figures within
the American foreign relations community. "The resolution has been
opposed in a letter from all living Secretaries of State, and three
Secretaries of Defense, that is a diverse group of people, and I
think it took a lot of my colleagues by surprise," said Rep.
Whitfield. A point further supported by Congresswoman Granger: "Many
in congress think that because it's just a resolution and doesn't have
any action attached to it, they don't see it as important as it is,
to take action against an ally." She goes on to highlight how the
legislative nature of the resolution led to a more flippant approach
to the issue, "If you don't understand how it's viewed in Turkey it's
easy to think it's not such a big deal - I mean we pass resolutions
to congratulate sports teams."
How the change came?
The fact that the Turkish reaction took many in Congress who originally
supported the resolution by surprise opened the door to begin the
process of changing their minds. However, supporters really began to
drop after action taken by their fellow Representatives. As Granger
commented, "A lot of people worked very hard to change our colleagues'
minds, literally one by one when needed."
Congressmen like Robert Wexler made a point to demonstrate how
important it is to preserve the two nations' "strategic partnership,"
saying, "My sense is that most people have great empathy for the
tragedy and suffering of the Armenian community but they understand
[Congress members'] first priority is to protect American lives and
anything that disrupts the safety of the troops, like this resolution
might, will make them stop and ask 'why are we doing this?'" The
combination of all these collective efforts makes it look like the
resolution has been defeated for now.
While it is unlikely that the resolution will be called to vote anytime
soon, the prospect is not entirely removed: "The resolution has been
around forever, it's one of the reasons we formed the Turkish caucus
in Congress," Granger said.
The U.S. and Turkish relationship has been strained, regardless of
whether the resolution is ever called to vote. While the governments
of the two nations have had several high-ranking meetings in the
past weeks and are collectively ushering in a new phase of their
relationship, the potential lasting damage from the resolution is
its effects on popular sentiment.
With Turkish opinions of America already at an all time low, this
most recent incident is only salting a wound that has already been
in need of treatment for sometime, a sentiment best summed up by
Congressman Whitfield: "Turkey is a vital part on our war on terror
and a key diplomatic ally, but what's more important than all that is
the relationship between the two nations, and the two peoples. We need
to stop thinking these relations matter only when there is a crisis."
* David Merahn is with the BAC Military Science.
ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE SCHOLAR TOURS U.S.
By Rosie Malek-Yonan
Assyrian International News Agency
Nov 12 2007
Like an umbilical chord still connected to its bitter past, the
Assyrians cannot detach from the events perpetrated against their
nation by the Ottoman Turks, Kurds and Persians in the shadows of
WWI. The past looms unsettled. The past waits patiently and stubbornly
to be made right so that the Assyrian nation can finally be at
peace. The Assyrian nation has been mourning its dead for 92 years. It
is time to lay them to rest with honor. It is our human right.
Assyrian nationalists and educators such as Mr. Sabri Atman are
doing their part to educate and create worldwide awareness of the
recognition of the Assyrian Genocide.
This week, Assyrians of America welcome Mr. Atman in their midst. His
arrival in the U.S. is indeed a bittersweet encounter for the Assyrians
of this region. We are reminded of the importance of remaining vigilant
today in safe guarding our history and our past to ensure our nation's
future so that it may be free from oppression and persecution.
Mr. Sabri Atman, founder and director of the Assyrian Seyfo Center in
Europe, is presenting a lecture on the topic of the Assyrian Genocide
entitled "Genocide, Denial, and the Right of Recognition." The
five-city American tour that began in Los Angeles on November 9th
at the Assyrian American Association of Southern California, will
continue on to San Jose (November 10th), Turlock (November 11th),
Detroit (November 16th), and end in Chicago (November 17th) before
he heads for Armenia with the same powerful message.
I had the honor of attending Mr. Atman's lecture in Los Angeles. He
presented the facts clearly and succinctly. But what was most striking
about his presentation was his unshakable conviction to demand justice
for his Assyrian nation from the Turkish government.
"Today we are not blaming every Turk or Kurd for the past events. But
this was done to us in their name," said Mr. Atman.
Indeed, the silence of the majority and the opposition of many today
to recognize the Genocide of the Assyrians, Armenian and Greeks,
only emphasizes the support of the denial of these Genocides.
Mr. Atman carried with him a palm size reddish stone from his homeland
in Southeast Turkey where he is banned from ever visiting.
The stone is a constant reminder of the bitter memories of not just
his family's past but also the past of the Assyrian nation that is
perpetually battling 92 years of defiance by the Turks.
Like most Assyrian families, the death of his grand parents at the
hands of the Ottoman Turks, is a memory that follows him daily. "The
Assyrian nation has inherited incredible scars."
"We Assyrians live in many different countries, but our existence is
not recognized. Our fundamental rights are not recognized," said Mr.
Atman. According to him, the year 1915 was one of the dirtiest pages
of Turkish history and consequently, "the Assyrian people did not
just suffer a tragedy. They suffered a genocide!"
It is true that as children, we Assyrians grew up learning and hearing
about the atrocities committed against our nation during WWI.
"We shed tears of blood," resonated Mr. Atman. A statement I know
only too well when I remember the eyes of my own grandmother, who was
a survivor of the Assyrian Genocide. She was one of the lucky ones,
unlike the rest of her family.
"We are the grandchildren of the Genocide. They owe us an apology."
An apology that is long overdue.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Armenian genocide mustn't be forgotten
The Miami Herald, FL
Oct 13 2007
Armenian genocide mustn't be forgotten
Posted on Sat, Oct. 13, 2007
By HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
A divided U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved
House Resolution 106 condemning the Armenian genocide. Below are
excerpts.
The Armenian genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman
Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the deportation of nearly two
million Armenians, of whom 1.5 million men, women, and children were
killed, 500,000 survivors were expelled from their homes, and which
succeeded in the elimination of the over 2,500-year presence of
Armenians in their historic homeland.
- On May 24, 1915, the Allied powers -- England, France and Russia --
jointly issued a statement explicitly charging for the first time
ever another government of committing ``a crime against humanity.''
- The post-World War I Turkish government indicted the top leaders
involved in the ''organization and execution'' of the Armenian
genocide and in the ``massacre and destruction of the Armenians.''
- As displayed in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Adolf Hitler,
on ordering his military commanders to attack Poland without
provocation in 1939, dismissed objections by saying ''[w]ho, after
all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?'' and set the
stage for the Holocaust.
- Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term ''genocide'' in 1944, and who
was the earliest proponent of the United Nations Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, invoked the Armenian case as a
definitive example of genocide.
- In 1948, the U.N. War Crimes Commission invoked the Armenian
genocide 'precisely . . . one of the types of acts which the modern
term `crimes against humanity' is intended to cover'' as a precedent
for the Nuremberg tribunals.
- The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, an independent federal agency,
unanimously resolved on April 30, 1981, that the U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Museum would include the Armenian genocide and has since
done so.
- On June 5, 1996, the House of Representatives adopted an amendment
to House Bill 3540 to reduce aid to Turkey by $3 million until the
Turkish government acknowledged the Armenian genocide and took steps
to honor the memory of its victims.
- President Bush, on April 24, 2004, stated: ``On this day, we pause
in remembrance of one of the most horrible tragedies of the 20th
century, the annihilation of as many as 1.5 million Armenians through
forced exile and murder at the end of the Ottoman Empire.''
- Despite the international recognition and affirmation of the
Armenian genocide, the failure of the domestic and international
authorities to punish those responsible for the Armenian genocide is
a reason why similar genocides have recurred and may recur in the
future, and that a just resolution will help prevent future
genocides.
- The House of Representatives calls upon the president to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing and genocide documented in the United States
record relating to the Armenian genocide and the consequences of the
failure to realize a just resolution;
- And calls upon the president in [his] annual message commemorating
the Armenian genocide to accurately characterize the systematic and
deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide.
http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/270165.html
Russian Armenians welcome U.S. decision to recognize 1915 genocide
Russia & CIS General Newswire
October 11, 2007 Thursday 1:53 PM MSK
Russian Armenians welcome U.S. decision to recognize 1915 genocide
The Armenian community in Russia welcomes the suggestion at the U.S.
Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
"This is a very important historic move by U.S. congressmen, which
shows that the United States truly prioritizes common human values,"
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and leader of the Russian Armenian Union
Ara Abramian told Interfax on Thursday.
A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has recommended that
the house characterize as genocide the death of 1.5 million Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1917. The resolution will be put on a
vote in the middle of November. The Senate is drafting a similar
resolution. Both documents are purely declarative and do not require
the president's approval.
"The Americans prove that they place human rights and values higher
than one-time political gains," he said. "This is a truly courageous
step, which is fraught with exacerbation of relations with an
important ally, Turkey. However, this step shows that no statute of
limitations applies to crimes against humanity and justice must
triumph eventually.
First and foremost, that is necessary for preventing similar
tragedies in the future," Abramian said.
Russia recognized the Armenian genocide in WWI, just as another 20
countries, he remarked.
EU recognizes positive changes in Armenia's last parliamentary poll
Mediamax, Armenia
Oct 11 2007
EU recognizes positive changes in Armenia's last parliamentary poll
Yerevan, 11 October: President of the European Commission Jose
Barroso said that the European Union recognizes the positive changes
registered at the parliamentary election in May 2007 in Armenia,
Mediamax special correspondent reports from Brussels where Jose
Manuel Barroso said this at a joint briefing with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian on 10 October.
Jose Manuel Barroso told Mediamax that the European Union waits "for
the continuation of this tendency at the presidential election in
Armenia in February 2008". He voiced his hope that Armenia would take
into account proposals made by European observers in the
parliamentary election.
"There are all basis for our expectations to come true in the
presidential election in Armenia," the president of the European
Commission said.
Turkey Recalls Ambassador From U.S. as Tensions Escalate Over Vote
Global Insight
October 12, 2007
Turkey Recalls Ambassador From U.S. as Tensions Escalate Over
Armenian Genocide Vote
by Mandy Kirby
Turkey remained defiant today, following a referral of the Armenian
genocide resolution to the U.S. House of representatives.
Turkey has recalled its ambassador to the United States for
"consultation", following the decision of U.S. House of
Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to refer a bill recognising as
genocide the 1915-1918 slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman
Empire troops. The Turkish government said that Ambassador Nabi
Sensoy has not been permanently recalled, but would be in Turkey for
some days to discuss further action.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul was quick to condemn the resolution as
a betrayal of his country from one of its key allies, within minutes
of the vote on 10 October. Turkey accepts that atrocities were
carried out, but has denied genocide, as well the number of 1.5
million generally accepted by historians. Turkey has asked for a
joint commission of Armenian and Turkish historians to be convened,
and wants recognition for the thousands of Turks and others who died
during the civil and military unrest of the time, in atrocities
carried out by several states. However, more than 20 countries have
passed similar resolutions, calling on Turkey to accept its past.
Global Insight
Perspective
Significance Turkey has recalled its Ambassador to the U.S. for
"consultations" following the passing of a resolution recognising as
genocide the 1915-1918 slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by troops
of Ottoman Turkey.
Implications
Despite the opposition of key administration members, including
President George W. Bush, the resolution's future is now in the hands
of the House of Representatives, and Turkish-U.S. relations are under
threat, paving the way for scrabbling diplomacy to ensure the fallout
does not extend into regional destabilisation.
Outlook
The deterioration in relations with the United States heightens the
risk of Turkey taking unilateral action in pursuit of Kurdish rebels
into northern Iraq. Turkey could also threaten to limit U.S. access
to the Incirlik air base, which provides logistical support to U.S.
troops in Iraq. However, Global Insight believes that any such
unilateral action is highly unlikely.
Risk Ratings
This is potentially the most serious issue to have hit U.S.-Turkish
relations. The implications radiate into the region, which can ill
afford destabilisation. On a positive note, Turkish-U.S. business
relations are unlikely to suffer, although Turkish public opinion has
certainly shifted towards general opposition to the United States as
whole. Currently, Turkey's security-risk rating reflects the tense
border situation, but a risk upgrade would be necessary in the event
of Turkish unilateral action in Iraq.
Iraq Threat
>From the perspective of the U.S. administration, the situation is
fraught with difficulties. Leading members had warned against the
timing of resolution, with Turkey set to tackle the increasingly
critical issue of separatist rebels in the southern Turkish and
northern Iraqi regions. The content of the resolution provoked a
similar warning, as it calls for the resolution to inform U.S.
foreign policy. Opponents include President George W Bush, as well as
Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, who condemned the actions of the vote as endangering U.S.
national security interests, hinting that the action would endanger
U.S. troops serving in Iraq.
The reasons for this are twofold; Turkey has recently moved to a more
aggressive position to pursue Kurdish rebels, debating authorizing a
cross-border incursion in pursuit of rebels from the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), largely based in the northern Iraqi regions, and
in particular in the difficult terrain of the Qandil mountains.
Secondly, a considerable concern for the United States is the
possibility that access to the Incirlik base would be restricted or
closed down. The base provides significant logistical support to U.S.
troops in Iraq, acting as a cargo conduit. Although the United States
has functioned without Turkish support in the past when in 2003
parliament voted against opening a second front into Iraq, loss of
access to Incirlik could compromise U.S. operations in the short
term.
Terrorism Issue Paramount to Turkey
The issue of separatist rebels should not be underestimated; it has
now taken on paramount importance for Turkey, and the genocide
resolution gives the government a pretext to take a more hard-line
approach to the issue. The Turkish government, seeing public opinion
sway after a raft of recent fatalities of soldiers and civilians, and
a key report discussed in the last week over rebel capabilities,
changed its position earlier this year. Then it gave assurances that
parliament would be consulted over any incursions into Iraq,
stressing this would be a last resort (see Turkey: 13 June 2007: ).
Now, it feels the threat is justifying a stronger response. The U.S.
is clearly and vehemently opposed to unilateral Turkish action across
the border, which it fears would destabilise Iraq's northern
Kurdish-dominated regions. Although Turkey and Iraq recently signed
co-operation agreements on rebel pursuit, the autonomous Kurdish
administration (KRG) has paid little heed to these, and is unwilling
to get involved in the dangerous pursuit of rebels, leaving many to
conclude that northern Iraq is something of a safe haven. Previous
attempts to track rebels have had mixed success, and the Turkish
military now believes that only a sustained presence in a roughly
60-kilometre border region would have a marked effect on rebel
presence. The present, periodic "hot pursuits" do not do enough to
damage rebel infrastructure, and even cross-border operations are
unlikely to succeed if they are too brief, the government believes.
While Turkey has carried these out in the past, such operations have
has always had the support of the Iraqi government, which is visibly
lacking now.
Outlook and Implications
Turkey has been incensed by the passing of the genocide resolution by
the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, although the
issue is by no means unanimously decided. The committee voted 27-21
to approve the resolution, which will now be formally put to the
House of Representatives. Its fate there lies in the hands of the
Democrats that control the chamber. The Republicans are largely
against passing the measure, and in this instance the issue more the
usefulness of this particular resolution, its wording, and--most
critically of all--its timing.
Other relationships will be affected; the situation has implications
for Turkey's position as a European Union (EU) candidate state, with
France leading a call for recognition of genocide--although this
throws up controversies too, as President Nicholas Sarkozy
controversially told Algerians subjected to atrocities under French
rule that the sons could not be expected to apologise for the sins of
their fathers. When the French resolution was passed, Turkey
suspended contacts with the French military, but France has the upper
hand in this situation, being able to prevent Turkey's EU ambitions.
Although the Iraqi government will protest any unilateral moves, it
has difficulties of its own, with the KRG not heeding messages from
central government, and more keen to protect its own. Pressure is
unlikely to be brought to bear, given the risk of an move by the
region to secede--taking the oil and gas-rich city of Kirkuk with
it--a fear shared by Iraq, the United States and Turkey. Relations
with Israel may also suffer, with Turkey unhappy that its ally,
Israel, did not push harder to prevent the resolution from being
voted on; the Israeli line remains that historians and not
politicians should and that the issue is an internal U.S. one.
Additionally, the Anti-Defamation League reversed its position in
August this year and declared the slaughter of the Armenians
"tantamount to genocide".
Turkey's reaction may well be seen as rash. Had it held off acting,
and taken this non-binding resolution in a different spirit, this
obstacle could have been overcome. Instead, there is now less scope
for compromise. Turkey, which has exhibited reactionary foreign
policy often in the past, will now be looking for reassurance and
concessions from the United States. This may happen in some respect,
and go towards soothing Turkish sensitivities, but the United States
will not jeopardise its own interests, and will extend only nominal,
placatory measures. The critical issue is whether bilateral relations
will be damaged more profoundly; Turkey has felt increasingly
sensitive to the lack of support it perceives over the rebel issue.
U.S.-Turkish business relations are less likely to suffer, being well
established. This is small comfort ahead of a tense few days to
ensue, with backroom diplomacy going into overdrive.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
ANKARA: Last Move From Turkey Before Vote In Congress On Armenian Genocide Resolution
MEMRI, DC
Oct 8 2007
A Turkish parliamentary delegation is on its way to the U.S. as a
last move to prevent the passing of the resolution on alleged Armenian
genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks during the World War I.
Columnist Fatih Cekirge of top selling Turkish daily Hurriyet wrote
that the mandate of the delegation of MPs from AKP, CHP and MHP
is stronger as it comes not only from the government but from the
parliament - that is from the Turkish people - and the AKP MP Egemen
Bagis, who heads the delegation, signaled that the warning they will
deliver to the U.S. will also be very strong.
Turkey has repeatedly said that if the Congress passes the Armenian
resolution U.S.-Turkey relations would suffer. It is now understood
that Turkey will tell the U.S. that it might cut or restrict the
logistical support that Turkey provides the U.S. military in Iraq
through Incirlik airbase - also affecting the future withdrawal of
U.S. from Iraq, via Turkey.
The other dimension is Turkish military's disappointment with the
U.S for its inaction against the PKK and tolerating the terrorists
based in northern Iraq that launch attacks inside Turkey - a long
time ally of the U.S. and a partner in the war against terrorism.
ANKARA: Armenian Bill Threatens Turkish-US Military Deals
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Oct 8 2007
Any possible Turkish retaliation to an Armenian "genocide" resolution
that the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
is expected to approve tomorrow is said to be likely to expand to
include lucrative arms procurement deals between Turkey and the US.
Turkey has long rejected the genocide tag for the World War I deaths
of Anatolian Armenians. But this has not prevented over 20 nations
from recognizing the events as genocide, and now the Committee on
Foreign Affairs is highly likely to adopt the resolution during its
scheduled meeting tomorrow.
If the resolution is approved by the committee, it would be up to
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to decide whether to bring it to the House
floor for a vote. Despite intense efforts launched by both the Turkish
government and the US administration, Pelosi is said to intend to
bring it before the House.
But the passage of the "genocide resolution" by the House alone
(though it is not legally binding for the administration) is likely
to have a serious negative impact on the Turkish public and to further
affect the already damaged Turkey-US relations.
The most vulnerable areas in terms of possible Turkish retaliation
are said to be limiting usage of the Habur border gate with Iraq for
US goods, including oil and military spare parts, as well as limiting
or even closing the Ýncirlik airbase in southern Turkey to US access.
Ýncirlik has been heavily used by the US for its operations both in
Iraq and in Afghanistan.
Any Turkish action to limit or close both Habur and Ýncirlik to US
use will jeopardize US combat operations in Iraq, said an Ankara-based
Western diplomat.
Arms deals to be affected
Another significant region of cooperation between Turkey and the US
said to be at risk from the genocide resolution is arms procurement.
Turkey was one of the leading countries in 2006 for US arms sales,
totaling an estimated $2.1 billion.
Those US sales to Turkey have mostly taken place in the form of
foreign military sales credits that did not involve any international
tender being opened by Ankara. Turkey signed an arms deal based on
foreign military sales with the US worth over $13 billion last year
that involved Turkish purchase of an additional 30 F 16 fighters and
Turkish participation in the US-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) project.
Turkey's Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) has in the
meantime eased contract terms and conditions for the purchase of
arms through international tenders -- conditions that were mainly
affecting US companies due to the Turkish request for the transfer
of high technology which ran contrary to US legal restrictions.
This relatively flexible Turkish policy has opened the way for US
companies to re-enter the competition for Turkish arms procurement
tenders. A decision to take the genocide resolution to the US House
may prompt the SSM to harden contract terms and conditions for the
US companies.
For example, US firm Sikorsky, which came close to negotiations with
SSM for the sale of around 70 S-70 Black Hawk helicopters to Turkey
may lose this tender as a result of a possible Turkish retaliation
to the resolution, said a senior Turkish defense industry source.
Turkey had been planning to make a final decision on the acquisition
of multipurpose helicopters some time in November, the month that US
House may vote on the genocide resolution.
Similarly, the chance of US companies succeeding in Turkey's $1.4
billion acquisition of four long-range air and missile defense
systems may decrease, and Turkey may instead opt for the Russian S-400
missiles that Moscow is said to be planning to offer in response to
the Turkish tender.
If the fact that almost half of the Turkish Air Forces generals are in
favor of the Russian missiles is taken into consideration, the adoption
of the genocide resolution will further weight this bid in favor of
the Russians, said the same senior Turkish defense industry sources.
US Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are bidding in Turkey's long-range
missile project with a combination of Patriot 2 and Patriot 3 missiles
under foreign military sales conditions.
PKK attack may heighten Turkish emotions
Many Ankara-based Western diplomats fear that the latest Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) attack over the past weekend in Þýrnak in the
Southeast, which killed 13 Turkish soldiers, just three days before
the expected deliberations on the genocide resolution in the Committee
on Foreign Affairs will heighten Turkish emotions.
Since the attack Turkey's possible cross-border operation in northern
Iraq to crack down on PKK terrorists has come to the agenda again.
Turkey has long been accusing the US of not taking action against PKK
bases in northern Iraq, from which terrorists have been infiltrating
into Turkey to stage their violent attacks.
US inaction against the PKK in northern Iraq coupled with a potential
genocide resolution may make Turkey turn more emotional and lead it
to take tougher retaliatory measures against the US, said a Western
diplomat.
ANKARA: Sanctions Against US Won't Affect Congressmen, Expert Warns
Turkish Daily News, Turkey
Oct 9 2007
Egemen Baðýþ's statements that Turkey can cut its logistic support
for American troops stationed in Iraq are not considered very
productive. 'I do not think that it will have an impact on the
congressmen's decision' Faruk Loðoðlu says
Ahead of a crucial vote in the United States Congress, Turkey's
threats on cutting logistic support and strategic cooperation with
the U.S. if the genocide bill is approved, will have no affect on
members of the Congress, experts warn.
"The sanctions related with Iraq can create a sort of excitement
among the Congressmen but I do not think that it will have an impact
on them," said retired Ambassador, Faruk Loðoðlu, now head of the
Ankara-based Eurasia Strategic Studies center (ASAM), whose last
posting was to Washington D.C. Congress' Foreign Affairs Committee is
expected to approve Wednesday a bill which characterizes the incidents
in 1915-1916 in eastern Anatolia as genocide and Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
a known supporter of the Armenian cause, could then decide to bring
it to the House floor for a vote. Many believe that it is very likely
that the bill will be approved if put to a vote in the House.
Turkey has been trying hard to stop the process in Congress, through
an intense diplomatic campaign aimed at the U.S. Administration and
Israel. The messages sent to U.S. officials were that the two long-time
allies' relations could be seriously hurt if the bill is approved.
Cutting off support?
"For example, the Americans depend on Turkey for a large part of their
logistic support in Iraq. We would be obliged to cut this support,"
Egemen Baðýþ, deputy leader of the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) who left for Washington D.C. yesterday to lobby the congressmen,
was quoted by daily Hurriyet.
But Baðýþ softened his words at a press conference he held before his
departure. "Turkey has a lot of options but it is not my responsibility
to evaluate which of them could be used. The daily Hurriyet has
exaggerated the scenarios. But we will be doing everything to stop
the approval of the bill," he said.
Among the mentioned sanctions are closing the Ýncirlik base,
in Turkey's south to the American military to supply its troops
in Iraq and Afghanistan, not allowing the withdrawal of American
troops through Turkish territory, and suspending some of the military
equipment purchases.
Government has to decide
But according to Loðoðlu, threatening the members of Congress with
such sanctions is not likely to work. "In general, I may say that
such threats won't have any influence on the congressmen's decision,"
he said.
"What is important here is the government's will and its purpose.
Is it going to be good or bad? I always think that before applying
such sanctions, they have to be analyzed on scales: Who will be most
hurt by the sanctions? Us or them? They have to be applied if it is
going to be the other party who will be hurt most," he added.
Loðoðlu underlined that the U.S. has many allies in the region and
can use their bases in some other countries. The U.S. has established
military bases in Bulgaria and Romania after Turkey's rejection of
a U.S. request to use Turkish bases and territory.
"Instead we should inform the congressmen about the U.N.'s Convention
on Genocide and Turkey's proposal to Armenia for establishing a
joint commission of historians to analyze the incidents. We may not
convince many of them but we can shake their position a little bit,"
the retired ambassador said.
The recognition of the Armenian genocide in the parliaments of third
countries is one of the most serious problems Turkey is faced with in
the international arena. A dozen or so countries, including Turkey's
allies in NATO, have recognized the events in 1915-1916 as genocide.
ANKARA: If Armenians Win In Congress, The U.S. May Lose; Cards Turkey Can Play
Source: CNN-Turk TV and all Turkish dailies, October 8, 2007
MEMRI, DC
Oct 9 2007
Most Turkish dailies published a CNN-Turk TV report that lists Turkey's
trump cards that it might use to deter the Congress from passing the
Armenian Genocide resolution based on historical allegations that
Turkey categorically rejects.
According to the report last March Pentagon's Deputy Under-Secretary
Dan Fata had also presented a similar list to the House Committee
of Foreign Relations, of what Turkey might do in case the resolution
was adopted.
Turkey may cut or restrict the logistical support to U.S. military
in Iraq. 60% of all supplies to U.S. units in Iraq go from Incirlik
airbase.
25% of the fuel used in Iraq by coalition forces goes through the
Habur border gate in Turkey.
U.S. fighter planes that are based in Incirlik airbase also train in
Turkish airspace.
16 U.S. fleet ships that participated in the war in Iraq, refueled
in Turkish seaports.
American economy may lose billions of dollars in arms sales if Turkey
changes its suppliers.
Turkey committed to buy 106 of the new generation F-35s. There are
also plans to purchase 30 F-16s for 1.65 billion dollars.
200 F-16s are to be modernized by the U.S. for 1.6 billion dollars.
There is an upcoming tender for the purchase of air defense systems
with the U.S. Patriot system being preferred - despite Russia's
eager competition.
U.S. makers are the top players in the tender for the purchase of
training helicopters, valued at 50 million dollars.
Turkey plays an important role, at the request of the U.S., among
NATO and U.N forces stationed at different places in the world.
Turkish military commanded the peace forces in Afghanistan for two
terms; and is on duty in Lebanon and Kosovo.
Turkey is being considered by U.S. as a safe route for withdrawal
of its troops from Iraq - which may all be jeopardized if Armenian
resolution passes.
Turkish parliamentary delegation that will conduct meetings in
Washington this week, might bring up all of the above issues.
International Association of Genocide Scholars Letter on Armenian
NO PLACE FOR DENIAL
October 5, 2007
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS
The Honorable Tom Lantos, Chairman
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
US House of Representatives
Dear Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen:
We write to you as the leading international organization of scholars
who study genocide. We strongly urge you to pass H. Res. 106.
In passing this resolution the US Congress would not be adjudicating
history but instead would be affirming the truth about a genocide that
has been overwhelmingly established by decades of documentation and
scholarship.
Truth of the Scholarly Record
It is disingenuous of the government of Turkey to use the red herring
of a "historians' commission," half of whose members would be
appointed by the Turkish government, to "study" the facts of what
occurred in 1915. As we have made clear in our Open Letters to Prime
Minister Erdogan (6/13/05 and 6/12/06), the historical record on the
Armenian Genocide is unambiguous. It is proven by foreign office
records of the United States, France, Great Britain, Russia, and
perhaps most importantly, of Turkey's World War I allies, Germany and
Austria-Hungary, as well as by the records of the Ottoman
Courts-Martial of 1918-1920, and by decades of scholarship. A
"commission of historians" would only serve the interests of Turkish
genocide deniers.
The abundance of scholarly evidence led to the unanimous resolution of
the International Association of Genocide Scholars that the Turkish
massacres of over one million Armenians from 1915 to 1918 was a crime
of genocide.
America's Own Record
The Joint Congressional Resolution recognizing and commemorating the
Armenian Genocide will honor America's extraordinary Foreign Service
Officers (among them Leslie A. Davis, Jesse B. Jackson, and Oscar
Heizer) who often risked their lives rescuing Armenian citizens in
1915. They and others left behind some forty thousand pages of
reports, now in the National Archives, that document that what
happened to the Armenian people was government-planned, systematic
extermination - what Raphael Lemkin (the man who coined the word
genocide) used in creating the definition.
By passing this resolution, the U.S. Congress would also pay tribute
to America's first international human rights movement. The Foreign
Service Officers and prominent individuals such as Theodore Roosevelt,
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, and Cleveland Dodge, who did so much to
help the Armenians, exemplify America's legacy of moral leadership.
The parliaments of many countries have affirmed the fact of the
Armenian Genocide in unequivocal terms, yet H. Res. 106, a
commemorative, non-binding resolution, has faced opposition from those
who fear it would undermine US relations with Turkey. It is worth
noting that, notwithstanding France's Armenian Genocide legislation,
France and Turkey are engaged in more bilateral trade than ever
before. We would not expect the US government to be intimidated by an
unreliable ally with a deeply disturbing human rights record,
graphically documented in the State Department's 2007 International
Religious Freedom Report on Turkey. We would expect the United States
to express its moral and intellectual views, not to compromise its own
principles.
The Armenian Genocide is not a controversial issue outside of Turkey.
Just as it would be unethical for Germany to interfere with the
historical memory of the Holocaust, we feel it is equally unethical
for Turkey to interfere with the memory of the Armenian Genocide. Elie
Wiesel has repeatedly called Turkey's denial a double killing, as it
strives to kill the memory of the event. We believe the US government
should not be party to efforts to kill the memory of a historical fact
as profound and important as the genocide of the Armenians, which
Hitler used as an example in his plan to exterminate the Jews.
We also believe that security and historical truth are not in
conflict, and it is in the interest of the United States to support
the principles of human rights that are at the core of American
democracy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory H. Stanton
President
International Association of Genocide Scholars
EXECUTIVE BOARD:
President,
Gregory Stanton
Genocide Watch
First Vice-President,
Steven Leonard Jacobs
University of Alabama
Second Vice-President
Alex Hinton
Rutgers University
Secretary,
Marc I. Sherman
Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem, Israel
Treasurer,
Jack Nusan Porter, Newton, MA
ADVISORY COUNCIL:
Joyce Apsel
New York University, USA
Peter Balakian, USA
Colgate University, USA
Ben Kiernan, USA
Yale University, USA
Daniel Feierstein
U. of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Charli Carpenter
University of Pittsburgh, USA
Henry Theriault
Wellesley College, USA
Immediate Past President:
Israel W. Charny
Institute on Holocaust & Genocide, Jerusalem, Israel
October 5, 2007
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS
The Honorable Tom Lantos, Chairman
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
US House of Representatives
Dear Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen:
We write to you as the leading international organization of scholars
who study genocide. We strongly urge you to pass H. Res. 106.
In passing this resolution the US Congress would not be adjudicating
history but instead would be affirming the truth about a genocide that
has been overwhelmingly established by decades of documentation and
scholarship.
Truth of the Scholarly Record
It is disingenuous of the government of Turkey to use the red herring
of a "historians' commission," half of whose members would be
appointed by the Turkish government, to "study" the facts of what
occurred in 1915. As we have made clear in our Open Letters to Prime
Minister Erdogan (6/13/05 and 6/12/06), the historical record on the
Armenian Genocide is unambiguous. It is proven by foreign office
records of the United States, France, Great Britain, Russia, and
perhaps most importantly, of Turkey's World War I allies, Germany and
Austria-Hungary, as well as by the records of the Ottoman
Courts-Martial of 1918-1920, and by decades of scholarship. A
"commission of historians" would only serve the interests of Turkish
genocide deniers.
The abundance of scholarly evidence led to the unanimous resolution of
the International Association of Genocide Scholars that the Turkish
massacres of over one million Armenians from 1915 to 1918 was a crime
of genocide.
America's Own Record
The Joint Congressional Resolution recognizing and commemorating the
Armenian Genocide will honor America's extraordinary Foreign Service
Officers (among them Leslie A. Davis, Jesse B. Jackson, and Oscar
Heizer) who often risked their lives rescuing Armenian citizens in
1915. They and others left behind some forty thousand pages of
reports, now in the National Archives, that document that what
happened to the Armenian people was government-planned, systematic
extermination - what Raphael Lemkin (the man who coined the word
genocide) used in creating the definition.
By passing this resolution, the U.S. Congress would also pay tribute
to America's first international human rights movement. The Foreign
Service Officers and prominent individuals such as Theodore Roosevelt,
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, and Cleveland Dodge, who did so much to
help the Armenians, exemplify America's legacy of moral leadership.
The parliaments of many countries have affirmed the fact of the
Armenian Genocide in unequivocal terms, yet H. Res. 106, a
commemorative, non-binding resolution, has faced opposition from those
who fear it would undermine US relations with Turkey. It is worth
noting that, notwithstanding France's Armenian Genocide legislation,
France and Turkey are engaged in more bilateral trade than ever
before. We would not expect the US government to be intimidated by an
unreliable ally with a deeply disturbing human rights record,
graphically documented in the State Department's 2007 International
Religious Freedom Report on Turkey. We would expect the United States
to express its moral and intellectual views, not to compromise its own
principles.
The Armenian Genocide is not a controversial issue outside of Turkey.
Just as it would be unethical for Germany to interfere with the
historical memory of the Holocaust, we feel it is equally unethical
for Turkey to interfere with the memory of the Armenian Genocide. Elie
Wiesel has repeatedly called Turkey's denial a double killing, as it
strives to kill the memory of the event. We believe the US government
should not be party to efforts to kill the memory of a historical fact
as profound and important as the genocide of the Armenians, which
Hitler used as an example in his plan to exterminate the Jews.
We also believe that security and historical truth are not in
conflict, and it is in the interest of the United States to support
the principles of human rights that are at the core of American
democracy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory H. Stanton
President
International Association of Genocide Scholars
EXECUTIVE BOARD:
President,
Gregory Stanton
Genocide Watch
First Vice-President,
Steven Leonard Jacobs
University of Alabama
Second Vice-President
Alex Hinton
Rutgers University
Secretary,
Marc I. Sherman
Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem, Israel
Treasurer,
Jack Nusan Porter, Newton, MA
ADVISORY COUNCIL:
Joyce Apsel
New York University, USA
Peter Balakian, USA
Colgate University, USA
Ben Kiernan, USA
Yale University, USA
Daniel Feierstein
U. of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Charli Carpenter
University of Pittsburgh, USA
Henry Theriault
Wellesley College, USA
Immediate Past President:
Israel W. Charny
Institute on Holocaust & Genocide, Jerusalem, Israel
Monday, October 8, 2007
Taner Akcam speaks about the Armenien Genocide
Taner Akçam is a Turkish historian, sociologist and author. He is one of the first Turkish academics to acknowledge and discuss openly the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Turkish government in 1915.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
US PRESIDENT VOWS TO PREVENT "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" BILL PASSING
Azeri Press Agency
US President George W. Bush repeated his opposition to a resolution
on the so-called genocide of Armenians during a phone conversation
with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan warned that passing the resolution, although officially
non-binding, would harm the strategic relations and partnership
between Turkey and the United States.
Bush promised Erdogan that he would work decisively to prevent the
bill passing.
In the phone call, "Bush reiterated his opposition to this resolution,
the passage of which would be harmful to U.S. relations with Turkey,"
said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
Bush "believes that the determination of whether or not the events
constitute genocide should be a matter for historical inquiry, not
legislation," Johndroe added.
Erdogan also called Bill Clinton for his support to stop passage of
the bill.
According to media reports, the bill would be taken up by Congress's
Foreign Relations Committee on October 10.
AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL WARNS ON GENOCIDE BILL
Turkish Daily News
In a letter sent to members of the United States House of
Representatives, chairman of the American-Turkish Council, retired
U.S. General Brent Scowcroft warned against the ramifications of a
possible approval of the Armenian genocide bill by the U.S. Congress.
Scowcroft warned that the U.S. could risk losing a significant part
of its trade with Turkey if the resolution passes.
WHITE HOUSE: BUSH RECOGNIZES 1915 EVENTS BUT DOESN'T RANK THEM GENOCIDE
White House: Bush Recognizes 1915 Events But Doesn't Rank Them Genocide
- From: "Katia M. Peltekian" <kpeltekian@yahoo.com>
- Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:21:53 +0500 (AMST)
http://www.huliq.com/37099/white-house-bush-recognizes-1915-events-but-doesnt-rank-them-genocide
Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman, said President Bush
"reiterated his opposition to the Armenian Genocide resolution,
the passage of which would be harmful to U.S. relations with Turkey."
Johndroe said Bush believes the Armenian episode ranks among the
greatest tragedies of the 20th century, but the determination whether
"the events constitute a genocide should be a matter for historical
inquiry, not legislation."
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed
by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide. At the U.S. State
Department, the senior official who deals with Turkish relations said
the United States position is not to deny or accept that genocide
occurred. Nevertheless, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried
said, "We do not believe this bill would advance either the cause of
historical truth or Turkish-Armenian reconciliation or the interests
of the United States."
The Turkish reaction to passage of the bill would be extremely strong,
Fried said. It would do "grave harm" to relations with Turkey, a NATO
ally, and damage the U.S. war effort in Iraq, Turkey's neighbor.
The resolution is largely symbolic and would not be binding on
foreign policy. Similar measures have been offered before and
never passed, but it appears to have a good chance of passage in the
Democratic-controlled House if it is brought to a vote, The Associated
Press reports. - Source: Armtown
Sunday, October 7, 2007
[VIDEO] Armenian Genocide Recognition: Support S.Res.106 & H.Res.106
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Governor George Deukmejian's message to Congress in support of H.Res.106 & and.Res.106, which reaffirm the United States' record on the Armenian Genocide.
Kouchner: France's recognition of Armenian Genocide shouldn't hamper
PanARMENIAN.Net
French and Turkish Foreign Ministers agreed that
their countries have more similarities than differences and that
continued dialogue between the two nations has the potential to
improve relations. Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and his guest,
French Foreign Minister and Minister of European Affairs Bernard
Kouchner, were speaking at a press conference Friday during a visit by
Kouchner to Ankara. Babacan said the French Foreign Minister was
informed that Turkey does not want to be dragged into discussions
about the future of the EU and awaits the fulfillment of European
promises made to it. The two were set to have a second round of talks
in the evening, when, according to Babacan, they would discuss Turkish
and French interests in other countries, especially the Middle East.
Kouchner was also scheduled to visit President Abdullah Gul and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where discussions were expected to
focus on issues such as a `committee of wise men' and `privileged
partnership.' Babacan informed Kouchner about Turkey's unwillingness
to even discuss the possibility of a status other than full membership
in the European Union, Zaman reports.
As to the French bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, the
French Foreign Minister claimed in the press conference that the law
will not cause any difficulty between Turkey and France and that
nothing has been decided upon yet. The committee of wise men France is
supposed to discuss the future strategies and boundaries of the
EU. France also asks that this committee work on the Mediterranean
Union that France wants to see Turkey a part of.
In an interview with the Milliyet newspaper, Kouchner said that France
recently went through a difficult period in its relations with Turkey
and that his visit should be regarded as a symbol of a mutual desire
to give a strong new impetus to relations between the two. Kouchner is
the first high-level French official to visit Ankara since Nicolas
Sarkozy, a staunch opponent of Turkey's EU accession, was elected
president in May. Sarkozy has repeatedly said Turkey does not belong
in the EU, arguing that it is geographically in Asia.
Deutsche Welle: Bush denies Armenian genocide
US President George W. Bush has rejected a proposal by lawmakers to
officially classify the massacre and displacement of Armenians between
1915 and 1918 as genocide. Bush made the decision after speaking by
phone with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As many as 1.5
million Armenians are believed to have been killed as the Ottoman
empire disintegrated. Turkey puts the figure at less than a third and
denies that genocide took place.
Source: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,2145,12215_cid_2810961,00.html
McClatchy: Turkish envoy warns against U.S. genocide resolution
WASHINGTON - Approval of an Armenian genocide resolution by the House
of Representatives would have "very, very unfortunate" consequences
for U.S.-Turkish relations, Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy warned
Friday.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the diplomatically
charged resolution Wednesday. In an interview, Sensoy said "we are
deploying all the efforts that we can" to defeat the nonbinding
measure, which he thinks could unravel a strategic alliance.
"I fear - and expect, in fact - a strong reaction from the Turkish
people," Sensoy said, "and of course no government can remain
indifferent to this reaction."
Introduced by Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif., and Rep. Adam Schiff,
D-Calif., the 1,780-word resolution declares that "the Armenian
Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915
to 1923." Armenians say an estimated 1.5 million died during the
period.
Symbolically, the resolution puts the House on record as
characterizing the Armenian slaughter as genocide. Politically, it has
high visibility in regions with large Armenian-American populations,
including Southern California, California's San Joaquin Valley,
Michigan and New Jersey.
"Silence is genocide's greatest ally, and I am very happy that the
silence regarding the Armenian genocide will be ending next week,"
said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif. "It is well past due that the Armenian
genocide finally be recognized as such in our nation."
The last time an Armenian genocide resolution came before the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, in 2005, it was approved 40-7.
Congressional Republican leaders blocked it from reaching the House
floor.
The House committee likewise had approved an Armenian genocide
resolution in 2000, and House Republican leaders also killed that
measure.
This year, 226 House members publicly support the resolution,
including 23 members of the foreign affairs panel. Nonetheless, Sensoy
said "it will be a close race" Wednesday.
Certainly, no expense is being spared. Justice Department records show
that Turkey signed a $100,000-a-month contract in May with the
lobbying firm DLA Piper, one of several hired to fight the resolution.
Separately, Turkey paid Bob Livingston, former House Appropriations
Committee chairman, $625,000 for work from March 1 to Aug. 31, records
show. Last month, Turkey added the public relations firm
Fleishman-Hillard to its roster at $113,000 a month.
"It is out of necessity, of course," Sensoy said. "On the Armenian
side, many people are working, and we need the lobbying firms to have
certain access on Capitol Hill."
"It is true that what happened in 1915 is a very sad episode in our
common history," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of Armenians
perished. Hundreds of thousands of Turks perished. . . . We don't need
a new generation of people to hate one another."
He said he did "hope and believe" that the committee's chairman, Rep.
Tom Lantos, D-Calif., would oppose the resolution.
Lantos won't tip his hand before Wednesday's committee hearing, said
his spokeswoman, Lynne Weil.
Lantos opposed the 2000 resolution, citing its "substantial negative
effects on our strategic interests in the region."
He voted for the 2005 resolution, to chastise Turkey for stopping the
United States from using the country as a launching pad for the 2003
invasion of Iraq, he said.
"Turkey was not very popular at that point," Sensoy conceded.
Neither is the United States currently very popular in Turkey.
Almost four-fifths of Turks surveyed earlier this year favored "strong
action" by their government if an Armenian resolution passes. More
than 80 percent said they'd oppose Turkey helping out in nearby Iraq.
Many said they'd consider boycotting U.S. products. American exports
to Turkey totaled about $5.4 billion last year.
"If this resolution does pass, the Turkish government and Turkish
people will take it as a personal insult," Sensoy said, while
stressing that he doesn't want to be "misconstrued as threatening"
lawmakers with retaliation.
On Friday, the International Association of Genocide Scholars retorted
in a letter that France and Turkey "are engaged in more bilateral
trade than ever before" despite the French National Assembly's support
for a genocide resolution.
"We would not expect the U.S. government to be intimidated by an
unreliable ally with a deeply disturbing human rights record,"
Genocide Watch founder Gregory H. Stanton and the other scholars
wrote.
The 62-year-old Sensoy is a veteran diplomat who previously served as
Turkey's ambassador in Moscow and Madrid. He was embassy counselor in
1981 when President Ronald Reagan declared that "like the genocide of
the Armenians before it . . . the lessons of the Holocaust must never
be forgotten." Sensoy called this a "very unwelcome statement," but
noted that other presidents since "have avoided use" of what he termed
"the G word."
Most recently, eight former secretaries of state from both parties
cautioned Congress against the dangers of dictating history.
McClatchy Newspapers 2007
Source: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/20272.html
Saturday, October 6, 2007
The Prospect Of Recognizing The Armenian Genocide
(Vardan Grigoryan - Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia Oct 4 2007)
The issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide is again in the
focus of the European and American legislators' attention and has
already been included in the agenda of EU-Turkey and EU- United
States relations. Simultaneously, Armenia and Turkey have entered
into interstate negotiations, the first signal of such negotiations
being the October 2 meeting between both countries' Foreign Ministers
held in the United States.
It is noteworthy that the US House of Foreign Affairs Committee will
discuss Resolution #106 on October 10, just a week after the meeting
between V. Oskanyan and A. Babajan.
It is also necessary to bear in mind that the European Union will
resume the negotiations with Turkey during the coming months, and the
outcome is expected to be achieved on December 14. In this context,
Ankara is receiving new and new signals, admonitions and demands
from the United States in favor of the policy of opening its borders
with Armenia and in general - leaving our country out of the regional
project.
Thus, the official Ankara is again becoming faced with the fact of
the existence of Armenian Issue.
And although the Turks are trying to sidestep the issue by using
their characteristic persistence, during "internal discussions" they
do confess their own country's defeat on the international arena. In
the meantime, there is an increasing number of Turkish politicians and
experts who demand that their authorities distinguish the international
aspects of the Armenian Issue from the Armenian-Turkish bilateral
relations, and for that purpose they deem it necessary to initiate
a direct dialogue with Armenia and open the border.
That's why, during the upcoming months while the US House of Foreign
Affairs Committee is discussing the Resolution and submitting it to
the final decision of the plenary session, Turkey will have to make
a difficult choice. After all, which is more advantageous to it?
The American legislators' recognizing the Armenian Genocide or speeding
up the dialogue with Armenia and opening the borders?
Judging the official Ankara's attitude, Turkey is trying to use
some trick with the purpose of excluding the Armenian Issue from
the agenda of Congress. And the appeals addressed to Nancy Pelosy,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, by the former US Senators
and former Heads of the defense sphere are the successive evidence
of this fact. The "unexpected appearance" of such documents can be
considered an attempt of torpedoing the October 10 discussions to be
held in the US House of Foreign Affairs Committee.
However, bringing the Armenian-Turkish relations in compliance with
the minimum standards required for a country seeking EU membership
in the 21st century is, in some sense, an imperative of time. And
it is impossible to delay the solution to this problem either for
the sake of Azerbaijan's alliance with Turkey or for the sake of
realizing the unrealizable goal of extorting unilateral confessions
from Armenia. It is obvious that in view of the inevitability of
resuming the negotiations with the European Union and the existence
of the clear signals received by the United States, the present-day
Turkish authorities, being moderately Islamic, will be forced to
mitigate their attitudes towards Armenia.
Therefore, the positive or negative solutions to the problem will be
greatly dependant upon the attitude of the Army which has the power of
"pronouncing its final word" in the country and which has always been
the fundamental and irreconcilable opponent of opening the borders
with Armenia and de-blockading our country.
We believe that the command of the Turkish Army and the whole "in-depth
state" can make some provocative steps inside their own country in an
attempt to assume the role of an "advocate" of the Turkish diplomacy
who holds no office and who loses the relevant resources of resisting
the international community's pressures.
In such conditions, Armenia has to be consistent in its efforts of
disseminating the idea that the recognition of such an undeniable
fact may, instead of becoming an obstacle, serve as a turning point
not only towards the regulation of the Armenian-Turkish relations,
but also towards Turkeys internal democratization.
Moreover, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress
may shake the positions of the forces that lay obstacles to Turkey's
modernization and European integration by way of breeding intolerance
towards the Armenian Issue and the Armenians.
French FM Going To Ankara For Talks On EU And Armenian Genocide
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is set to arrive in Ankara for talks to discuss France's stand on Turkey's EU bid and the Armenian Genocide issue.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is set to arrive in Ankara for talks to discuss France's stand on Turkey's EU bid and the Armenian Genocide issue.
Kouchner's visit to the Turkish capital will be the first high level
Turkish-French meeting since last week's talks between Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Nicholas Sarkozy in New
York. An official from the French Embassy in Ankara noted that the
visit by Kouchner would be brief but helpful, commenting "Kouchner
is coming to help construct an energetic relationship with Foreign
Minister Babacan."
The same official noted, "We are prepared to warm relations with
Turkey, and to open up channels of communication. This visit is a
signal that the dialogue between the two countries is getting better.
Sarkozy is maintaining his position on Turkey. But he also
wants reforms to continue in Turkey, and he will not interfere in
this.....When the reforms are complete, it will be time for France
to make some decisions," Hurriyet reports.
French President Sarkozy has many times stated that "Turkey has no
place in Europe."
Armenian News Network
Iran: Bush denies Armenian genocide
US President has opposed moves to term the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as 'genocide'.Armenian News Network
A US House resolution would ask the president to declare the killings
of as many as 1.5 million Armenians nine decades ago a genocide.
In a statement, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said " Bush has
reiterated his opposition to this resolution," adding that "the
president has described the events as one of the tragedies of the 20th
century, but believes the determination of whether or not the events
constitute a genocide should be a matter for historical inquiry, not
legislation."
Turkey denies that a systematic slaughter of Armenians took place,
saying Armenians and Turks alike were killed in ethnic clashes between
1915 and 1923 after Armenian groups sided with Russia in World War I.
Turkey as a key regional ally for the United States has warned that
the passing of the draft would have defective consequences for the two
countries' relations.
A similar draft to the resolution before Congress was pulled from the
House floor in October 2000 following an intervention by then
president Bill Clinton.
ANKARA: Countdown Begins For US 'Genocide' Vote
A resolution upholding Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire is expected to advance in the US Congress next
week amid Turkish warnings that US-Turkey relations will receive a
serious blow if it passes.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has previously
expressed support for genocide claims but it is not clear whether
she would bring the resolution to a vote.
The US House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs announced
on Tuesday that it would debate the resolution next Wednesday. Similar
measures have been debated in Congress for decades but have repeatedly
been thwarted amid concerns about damaging relations with Turkey,
an important NATO ally. Tuesday's announcement signals that the
Democratic leaders who control the House support the measure. With
this support, the bill stands a good chance of passing in a vote by
the full House this time around.
The US administration has said repeatedly that it opposes the
resolution. Responding to a question posed at a daily press briefing
on Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the
administration was "working very closely" with Congress on the
matter. "As you know, it's -- every time one of these comes up it's
a very sensitive issue. And we are conveying to members of Congress
individually and in groups our views on it," he said. In Ankara,
US Embassy spokesperson Kathy Schalow was quoted as saying that
both Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ambassador Ross Wilson
were in touch with members of Congress to prevent passage of the
resolution. "We are doing what we can to prevent it," she was quoted
as saying by private ANKA news agency. If the resolution is approved
by the committee, it would be up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to
decide whether to bring it to the House floor for a vote.
While Pelosi has previously expressed support for recognizing the
events as genocide, it is not clear whether she would bring the
resolution to a vote.
But according to two congressional aides, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, the committee would
not have taken up the resolution without Pelosi's support. The measure
is expected to pass in the committee and has widespread support in
the full House, should Pelosi allow a vote. Recently, eight former
secretaries of state wrote a letter to Pelosi warning that passage
of the resolution would harm strategic Turkish-US relations and deal
a blow to Turkish-Armenian reconciliation efforts.
Though the largely symbolic measure would have no binding effect on
US foreign policy, it could nonetheless damage an already strained
relationship with Turkey.
After France voted last year to make denial of the Armenian genocide
a crime, the Turkish government suspended its military ties with the
country. A similar move against the United States could have drastic
repercussions on its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which rely
heavily on Turkish support. Turkish officials have not elaborated
on possible consequences of the resolution's eventual passage, but
observers say such drastic measures as closure of an air base used
by the US Air Force in Ýncirlik in southern Turkey could be the
possible outcome.
The measure comes at a time when public opinion polls show that the
United States has become widely unpopular in Turkey, in opposition
to US policy in Iraq. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found
the United States had only a 9 percent favorable rating in Turkey.
Turkey categorically rejects charges of genocide, saying Turks as
well as Armenians died when Armenians in eastern Anatolia took up
arms against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with the invading
Russian army in hope of creating an independent state in part of
Anatolian lands. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff,
says the bill's passage is overdue and urgent, with time running out
for the remaining survivors of the killings. "The United States has
a compelling historical and moral reason to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, which cost a million-and-a-half people their lives," Schiff
said in a statement.
Turkey argues that the US House of Representatives is the wrong
institution to arbitrate such a sensitive historical dispute. It
has proposed that an international commission of experts examine
Armenian and Turkish archives, an offer turned down by Armenia. In
the meantime, Turkey has been lobbying intensively in Congress, with
support from the Bush administration, to quash the resolution. "The
administration is very much against this resolution and has been very
active in trying to stop it," said Turkey's ambassador to Washington,
Nabi Þensoy. "We are very grateful for their help." But Þensoy said
that Turkey's government may have to respond should the resolution
pass. "We are not in the business of threatening, but nobody is going
to win if this is passed," he said.
Babacan tells Oskanian Turkey open to dialogue Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan met on Tuesday with his Armenian counterpart, Vartan Oskanian,
in the first meeting between the two ministers since Babacan was
appointed to his post after the Turkish general elections held on
July 22. The meeting at UN headquarters in New York was held at
the request of Armenia and was mostly a "greeting" aimed at the
two ministers getting to know each other, the Anatolia news agency
reported. The general atmosphere was positive, and Babacan's message
to his Armenian counterpart was that Turkey is open to dialogue with
Armenia on disputed issues.
The meeting came as the US House of Representatives' Committee on
Foreign Affairs prepares to debate and vote on a resolution next week
declaring that Armenians were subject to genocide at the hands of the
Ottoman Turks in the beginning of the last century. Babacan said at
the meeting that history could not be written by votes of politicians
in parliaments and brought to mind a proposal Turkey made to Armenia
in 2005 for joint study of that portion of history. The Armenian
minister, for his part, reiterated Armenia's request for the opening
of its border gate with Turkey, which has been closed for more than
a decade. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
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