Published: Wednesday March 18, 2009
Source; Asbarez.com
As Bipartisan Support for Genocide Bill Grows, Turkey Renews Warnings
to Obama
ANKARA (Combined Sources)–Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has
again warned that the introduction of a resolution by U.S. lawmakers
recognizing the Armenian Genocide could harm efforts to improve ties
with Armenia, reported the Turkish Hurriyet Daily.
Babacan’s latest warning came as US lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a
new resolution to recognize the Genocide into the House of
Representatives. H.Res. 252, introduced by Reps. Adam Schiff
(D.-Calif.), George Radanovich (R.-Calif.), Frank Pallone,
Jr. (D.-N.J.), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill.), currently has bipartisan
support from 77 original co-sponsors in the House.
The resolution, Babacan asserted could undermine efforts by President
Barack Obama’s administration to win help from Turkey on key foreign
policy goals in the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan. President Obama
is due to visit Turkey early April.
He said Turkey and Armenia are already discussing what he called `the
1915 killings’ and "steps that could be taken by third countries on
the issue would not bring any good but harm this process." "We hope
parliamentarians, parliaments become aware of this process and act
responsibly," he was quoted by AP as saying at a joint press
conference with his Philippine counterpart Alberto Romulo.