American recognition

[Guest]

Genocidal politics

 

Washington Times

February 5, 2001

 

EDITORIAL

 

The Clinton administration helped pragmatism trounce principle last

year, when it lobbied to kill a bill that would have recognized the

genocide of the Armenian people in Turkey under the Ottoman Empire,

more than 80 years ago.

 

To America's chagrin, France has achieved the moral leadership that

the U.S. Congress and White House failed to fulfill. Last week,

France's President Jacques Chirac approved a bill the parliament

recently approved that officially recognizes as genocide the

slaughter of about 1.5 million Armenians killed in Turkey during

and after World War I, while trying to establish their own

autonomous state. Authorities in Paris also voted to erect a

memorial to the genocide of these people, who comprised a Christian

minority in largely Muslim Turkey.

 

Turkey has insisted that genocide never occurred, and that 300,000,

rather 1.5 million, Armenians and thousands of Turks were killed as

the Ottoman Empire tried to quell civil unrest. But evidence,

including the testimony of a U.S. official in Turkey at the time,

demonstrates the slaughter of Armenians was widespread, intentional

and brutal.

 

Despite Turkey's threats of economic and diplomatic retaliation,

France's lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, gave

unanimous approval of a text reading: "France publicly recognizes

the Armenian genocide of 1915." The Senate had approved the bill

in November. As expected, Turkey responded to the passage of the

bill by recalling its ambassador to France and breaking two deals,

each worth about $200 million, with French companies Thales and

Alcatel. "There are French companies participating in ongoing

tenders. Of course, the so-called Armenian genocide bill will play

a determining role in our evaluations," said Turkey's minister of

defense, Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, last week.

 

Unfortunately, U.S. policy-makers degraded America's stature last

year by cowing to this type of crass bullying by Turkey. Indeed,

the Clinton administration scarcely mentioned the genocide of

Armenians when it lobbied against last year's bill. Presumably,

this would be the central issue, but administration officials

instead highlighted Turkey's potential usefulness in helping to

build a new oil pipeline in the Caucasus and the country's $6

billion yearly consumption of U.S. goods. During a congressional

hearing, Marc Grossman, director general of the foreign service,

said Bill Clinton opposed the bill because "he believes it would be

counterproductive."

 

This type of Clintonian reasoning is chilling, considering the

atrocity in question. America deserves a president that will put

moral mandates above short-term, economic considerations. And Mr.

Clinton was myopic even in his unprincipled logic. At some point,

the United States will be pressured to recognize the genocide of

the Armenians. The European Parliament, Italy, Belgium, Argentina

and now France have already done so. Postponing this

acknowledgment after eight decades is counterproductive.

[Guest]

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"Obstruction" or just "challenges"?

 

TURKISH Daily News

 

05 Feb. 2001

 

Comments and Analysis

 

 

Does President George W. Bush foresee a rough ride between Turkey and U.S.

during his tenure? Or is there a misunderstanding?

 

 

Editorial by Ilnur Cevik

ilnur.cevik@tdn1.com

 

 

A news report late Friday said President George W. Bush said in a letter to

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that he saw "obstacles" in his country's future

ties with Ankara, but predicted they would be overcome.

 

Bush, replying to Ecevit's congratulatory message on the U.S. president's

inauguration last month, said the future also promised "great opportunities"

of U.S. cooperation with NATO ally Turkey, according to the news report.

 

Now we are told that the Bush letter did not mention "obstacle" and instead

said the two countries faced joint "challenges" which they would overcome

together. Asked about the letter a senior Foreign Ministry official on

Sunday told the Turkish Daily News that President Bush did not mention such

concerns about Turkish-American relations. On the contrary the letter, he

emphasized, mentioned cooperation against joint challenges.

 

If Bush really mentioned "obstacles" there is cause for alarm. But we feel

the American president would not make such remarks in a reply letter to a

congratulatory message. Thus we think some clarification is needed to sort

out this letter mystery.

 

Commentators in Ankara and Istanbul have been discussing this letter issue

during the weekend and some have already felt Turkish-American relations are

taking a negative turn. Commentators say Bush is warning Ankara not to step

out of line on the Iraqi issue and that he is also sounding the alarm signal

for possible problems relating to the Armenian issue.

 

We feel this is not true. Bush like his father must be aware of the

importance of Turkey as a strategical ally. He would know better that as

Turkey's close links with Israel is desirable for Middle East peace and

increases Ankara's potentials to play a positive role for regional stability

its enhanced links with Iraq may also help to open better channels between

the international community and Baghdad and contribute to better conditions

in our area.

 

Yes, Turkey and the U.S. will face a array of challenges in the

international arena and as strategical allies have to face them together in

a spirit of solidarity during the tenure of President Bush. This is

inevitable and normal.

 

The only area where the U.S. and Turkey may not see eye to eye is the fact

that the political will for reformation and democratization is starting to

erode in Ankara and that latest developments have shown that Turkey's

falling hopes for European Union membership has decreased the leverage of

Brussels considerably. Thus Washington may be required to shoulder the role

of prodding Turkey and that may be a source of friction. But then the

question remains: Will the Republicans be prepared to push Turkey or not?

 

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