Turkey Very Careful In Repulsing Washington's Deci

[MosJan]

TURKEY VERY CAREFUL IN REPULSING WASHINGTON'S DECISION

 

The two resolutions on Armenian Genocide commemoration and acknowledgment of the Ottoman Turkey's role in it passed by the US International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives last night presumed that Turkey would fight back fiercely. The Turkish Zaman daily newspaper conditioned endorsement of the two resolutions with "Turkey's refusal of the March 1 motion to allow US troops to open a northern front before the Iraqi war".

 

In the article titled "US House Takes Revenge of March 1 Motion by the Armenian Draft", Zaman quoted the International Relations Committee's senior co-chair Tom Lantos as saying that more US soldiers were lost in Iraq today because the March 1 motion was not approved in the Turkish Parliament".

 

According to another paper, Milliyet, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff who submitted the draft "Commemoration Decision of the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923" also spoke of the March 1 decision of the Turkish Parliament. He spoke not to argue the resolutions on the Genocide but to reply to the message sent to Chair House Judiciary Committee, Henry Hyde, saying that the resolutions may damage Turkish-US relations. Milliyet writes that Schiff underscored Turkey's importance for the US and said: "The March 1 decision of the Turkish Parliament did not result in spoiled Turkish-American relations. Therefore the resolutions should not harm these relations".

 

Hyde came to add to Schiff's words saying: "I don't believe that endorsement of the resolutions will harm relations between the two states. Yet, denial of the fact of genocide cannot be justified. In the meantime I want to point out that Turkey is not responsible for that crime".

 

The paper writes that the committee members occasionally mentioned of Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust and warned Turkey that filling lawsuits against Turks who recognize Armenian Genocide (as in case of Orhan Pamuk) will result in nothing good.

 

The absence of resistance in Turkey towards the resolutions of the House International Relations Committee is a sign of watchfulness but not a sign of impotence. Simply Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still on his American visit and will return today, Sept. 17. It's out of doubt that Erdogan takes appropriate steps in this direction, and opposition will follow once he is back in Ankara.

 

By Hakob Chakrian