Turkish-Armenian relations "improving"?

[wh00t]

What BS. Reuters is reporting that Turkey is "improving relations" with Armenia by lifting mandatory visas on Armenian travellers. Remember, this cheap retaliatory technique was imposed when France recognized the Genocide, something the ROA had little to do with. And now we praise the Turks for lifting the ridiculous measure.

 

Praising Turkey for lifting the unfair and recently-imposed sanction on Armenia? That's like praising a kid for apologizing after punching an elderly woman in the face.

[wh00t]

Sure enough...

 

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: www.anca.org

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 16, 2002

Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian

Tel: (202) 775-1918

 

ANCA DISMISSES TURKISH ANNOUNCEMENT

ON LIFTING VISA RESTRICTIONS ON ARMENIANS

 

-- Turkey Imposed Restrictions to Punish Armenians

for European and U.S. Congressional Consideration

of Armenian Genocide Resolutions

 

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

today dismissed the Turkish government's announcement that it will

lift punitive visa restrictions on Armenian citizens, describing

this step as a short-term measure aimed at distracting attention

from Turkey's illegal blockade of Armenia, creating undeserved

good-will for Turkey over its antagonistic posture toward Armenia,

and smoothing the way for visiting Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to

make several multi-billion dollar requests of the Bush

Administration.

 

"The Turkish government does not deserve credit for lifting an

arbitrarily imposed restriction that it readily admits was put in

place to punish the people of Armenia because the U.S. Congress and

several European nations either considered or adopted legislation

on the Armenian Genocide," explained ANCA Executive Director Aram

Hamparian. "As an unrepentant perpetrator of genocide against the

Armenian people, the Turkish government will need to go far beyond

such token and transparent gestures. If events of the past six

months have shown us anything, it is that meaningful dialogue

between Armenians and the Turkish government will only be possible

after Turkey has abandoned its denial of the Armenian Genocide,

fully lifted its blockade, and ceased its military assistance to

Azerbaijan."

 

Prime Minister Ecevit, who met with President Bush earlier today,

arrived in Washington, DC with a laundry list of requests for

assistance from the Bush Administration, including:

 

* Multi-billion dollar International Monetary Fund and World Bank

assistance to counter Turkey's economic crisis that has, over the

past year, cut the value of Turkey's currency in half.

 

* Increased access to the U.S. market for Turkish textiles and

steel, at the expense of U.S. producers and the loss of American

jobs.

 

* Debt forgiveness for billions of dollars of Turkish financial

obligations to the United States in the form of past Foreign

Military Sales (FMS).

 

* Support for hundreds of millions of dollars in increased

construction costs for a Baku-Ceyhan pipeline that bypasses Armenia

at the insistence of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

 

Earlier today, the State Department reacted favorably to the

Turkish government's decision. According to a State Department

spokesperson, the State Department:

 

"Welcome Turkey's decision to lift visa restrictions

on travel by Armenians to Turkey and hope it will

contribute to improving Turkish Armenian relations.

We strongly encourage government and private

engagement to work out further concrete steps that can

be taken along the road to normalized relations."

 

Visa restrictions were imposed on Armenian citizens traveling to

Turkey after October 2000, following U.S. Congressional

consideration of the Armenian Genocide resolution and the adoption

of similar resolutions by a number of European countries and

organizations including France, Italy, and the European

Parliament.

 

With the restriction removed, Armenian citizens can arrange to

enter Turkey at the border, instead of needing to visit a third-

country Turkish embassy to get a Turkish entry visa. Turkey

continues its 9 year blockade of Armenia, which is illegal under

international law.