9 Jewish American Groups Call For More US Aid To Turkey

[A.R.]

Armenian National Committee of America

888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904

Washington, DC, 20006

Tel. (202) 775-1918

Fax (202) 775-5648

E-mail: anca@anca.org

Internet: <http://www.anca.org/>http://www.anca.org

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release

Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian

February 20, 2002

Tel: (202) 775-1918

 

ARMENIAN, GREEK, AND KURDISH AMERICANS VOICE CONCERN TO NINE JEWISH

AMERICAN GROUPS OVER LETTER CALLING FOR MORE U.S. AID TO TURKEY

 

-- Joint Letter Comes in Wake of Official Armenian

Government Protest over Statements by Israeli

Ambassador Minimizing the Armenian Genocide

 

WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)

has joined with the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and the

American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) in expressing their

collective reservations regarding a December 18th letter signed by

nine major Jewish American organizations praising Turkey

unconditionally and calling upon President Bush to provide

additional economic and military aid to the Turkish government.

 

The joint Armenian-Greek-Kurdish letter, dated February 13th,

includes a point-by-point response to a series of fundamental

errors and important omissions in the letter signed by the nine

Jewish American groups. The joint letter points out that the

Jewish groups decision to avoid any reference of Turkey's past

genocides and ongoing human rights abuses, "appears to represent a

retreat from the Jewish American community's proud tradition of

standing up for human rights, universal values, and the cause of

international justice." It also challenges the assertion by these

nine groups that "additional American support for Turkey," in the

form of "debt forgiveness, trade concessions, and/or further

International Monetary Fund relief," will serve either U.S.

interests or advance American values.

 

"In turning a blind eye to Turkey's genocidal past and ongoing

human rights abuses, these organizations are out of step with the

Jewish American community's proud tradition of moral leadership,

and, sadly, in sharp contrast to the warm relations that have

always characterized the Jewish community's relations at the

grassroots level with Greeks, Armenians, and other minorities,"

said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.

 

"We are especially disappointed that the representatives of these

groups, by advocating so aggressively and uncritically for an

unrepentant perpetrator of genocide, threaten to undermine a strong

Jewish-Armenian relationship that has endured for thousands of

years, and that has, in the past century, been so tragically but

also powerfully reinforced by our common experience as victims of

genocide, who must now confront the denial of these terrible

atrocities."

 

The nine Jewish American organizations that cosigned the plea for

U.S. assistance to Turkey were: the American Jewish Committee,

American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith

International, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish

Organizations, Hadassah The Women's Zionist Organization of

America, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish Institute for

National Security Affairs, and Orthodox Union.

 

The full text of both the letter by Jewish organizations and the

collective response by the ANCA and other Greek and Kurdish groups

may be found on the ANCA website http://www.anca.org.

 

Armenian Foreign Ministry Protests Statements by Israeli Ambassador

 

In Armenia this week, fallout continued from a highly charged

statement by Israeli Ambassador Rivki Kohen in which she downplayed

the significance of the Armenian Genocide. During a February 8th

press conference in Yerevan, Kohen argued that the "Holocaust was a

unique phenomenon, since it had always been planned and aimed to

destroy the whole nation. At this stage nothing should be compared

with Holocaust."

 

The Armenian Foreign Ministry responded to these remarks by issuing

a diplomatic note of protest this week arguing that Armenia

considers any attempt to reject or belittle the significance of the

Armenian Genocide as inadmissible, regardless of the motivation.

According to the Armenian government, Armenia has never specific

drawn parallels between the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish

Holocaust, considering any crime against the human race "unique"

with its political, legal, historical, and moral consequences.

 

The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to Yerevan's concerns

stating that, "Israel recognizes the tragedy of the Armenians and

the plight of the Armenian people. Nevertheless, the events cannot

be compared to genocide, and that does not in any way diminish the

magnitude of the tragedy." The Israeli Foreign Ministry,

consistent with the Turkish government's strategy of endlessly

deferring judgment on the Armenian Genocide, argued that there was

a lack of evidence of the Genocide, stating that, "this issue

requires extensive research by a wide spectrum of people and

academic dialogue that are based on testimony and proof."

 

Turkish/Israeli Lobby Step up Cooperation on Capitol Hill:

 

Meanwhile in the House of Representatives last week, Congressional

Turkish Caucus Co-Chairman Robert Wexler (D-FL), introduced

legislation "commending the Republic of Turkey and the State of

Israel for the continued strengthening of their political,

economic, cultural, and strategic partnership and for their actions

in support of the war on terrorism." The legislation, H. Con. Res.

327, introduced on February 12th, currently has six co-sponsors

including Representatives Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Eliot Engel (D-NY),

Mark Foley (R-FL), Tom Lantos (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), and Ed

Whitfield (R-KY).

 

Rep. Wexler is currently leading a Congressional delegation to

Turkey, which is scheduled to meet with Turkish Prime Minister

Bulent Ecevit, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Foreign Minister

Ismail Cem, Speaker of the Parliament Omer Izgi, and other top

Turkish officials. Rep. Wexler also plans on meeting with

religious leaders of the Greek, Armenian, and Jewish communities.

Joining Wexler on the trip are fellow Congressional Turkish Caucus

members Kay Granger (R-TX), Jim Moran (D-VA), Cliff Stearns (R-FL)

and Tom Tancredo (R-CO).

 

Other legislation, H.Con. Res. 265, introduced by Rep. Albert Wynn

(D-MD) last November, praises Turkey for its role in the U.S.-led

war on terrorism. This resolution currently has 30 cosponsors.

 

[ April 05, 2002, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: A.R. ]