Author: Chalian Meline

TURKISH CABINET TO DISCUSS ROADMAP AFTER US GENOCIDE VOTE

Asbarez
iscuss-roadmap-after-us-genocide-vote/
Mar 8th, 2010

ANKARA (Today’s Zaman)-A regular weekly meeting of Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s cabinet will focus on drawing up
a roadmap concerning the current course of affairs in bilateral
relations between Ankara and Washington after a US congressional
committee voted to pass a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Turkey has expressed its outrage over the US House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs’ approval of the non-binding resolution
on Thursday, in a vote broadcast live on Turkish television, and
recalled its envoy to the United States for consultations.

"The decision of the Foreign Affairs Committee will not hurt Turkey,
but it will greatly harm bilateral relations, interests and vision.

Turkey will not be the one who loses," Erdogan said on Saturday,
speaking to a group of Turkish businessmen.

The road map is expected to contain flexibility in regards to
"retaliatory" steps, as Ankara will also have to focus on preventing
US President Barack Obama from recognizing the Armenian Genocide in
an annual White House statement on April 24, the day marking Armenian
the 95th anniversary of the crime against humanity.

The Obama administration, for its part, made a last-minute appeal
against the resolution and has said it will stop the vote from going
further in Congress.

Diplomatic sources have said self-isolating measures such as shutting
down Incirlik Air Base, used by the US military, or cutting defense
imports from the US are unlikely at this stage. But damage to the
partnership with Turkey is likely to hurt US strategic interests in
the Middle East and Afghanistan, where Turkey is a key contributor
to the NATO-led peacekeeping force. Its growing clout in the Middle
East has given Ankara a key role in the region, making it capable of
exerting influence on US policy.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu gave a cautious answer when asked whether retaliatory
steps such as withdrawing troops from Afghanistan or a change of
regulation regarding the US use of Incirlik Air Base in Adana could
be on the agenda.

Such issues will be discussed with Tan upon his arrival, Davutoglu
said, adding that the issue would be discussed later at the Cabinet
meeting as well as with President Abdullah Gul and opposition parties.

US DOESN’T WANT CONGRESS DISCUSSIONS TO IMPACT ITS RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN

news.az
March 8 2010
Azerbaijan

"We certainly would not want this discussion within the U.S. Congress
to impact our relations with Azerbaijan".

"We are strategic partners, and there is much we are doing together
that benefits both nations," in response to questions about the U.S.

position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee vote, spokesman for
U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan Terry Davidson said.

"We are aware of Azerbaijan’s concern about the debate over this
resolution in the U.S. Congress, and both President Obama and Secretary
Clinton have made clear their desire that the U.S. Congress not be
forum for debates about what happened in 1915. As they have stated,
we believe the people of Turkey and Armenia – their societies, their
historians – are the ones who should review this history and put
it into perspective. To that end, the United States has supported
efforts to bring about rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia,
an opening that would include the creation of an ongoing dialogue
about the tragic events of 1915.

Secretary Clinton said last week that she hopes the full Congress
will not take further action on this resolution, as we believe it to
be unhelpful in the normalization of relations between Turkey and
Armenia. That normalization would help bring long-term stability,
peace and progress to the region," Terry Davidson said.

Azg, Armenia
March 4 2010

BRITISH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GENOCIDE

By Hovik Afyan

"Azg" daily has informed on February 16 that the majority of the UK
Parliament’s House of Commons had signed motions (called Early Day
Motions) recognizing the 1915 Genocide of Armenians and Assyrians.

On April 30, the House of Commons will again debate the Armenian
Genocide Remembrance Day bill; presented by Andrew Dismore, a
representative of the leading Labor party in England. Not only
government and opposition representatives, but also other MPs of the
House of Commons will participate in the discussions.

To acquire strength of law, the bill should be also approved by the
House of Lords and meet with the Queen’s approval.

Today, Azerbaijan
March 7 2010

Azerbaijani FM discussed Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with French
President’s adviser

07 March 2010 [00:55] – Today.Az

During his visit to Paris Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov met with President Nicolas Sarkozy’s chief foreign policy
adviser Jean-David Levitte, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s official
representative Elkhan Polukhov told Trend News.

Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed during
the meeting. Foreign Minister brought Azerbaijan’s position to French
adviser’s attention.

French diplomat, in his turn, stressed that French President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s promise, given in the last meeting with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev on his personal intervention in the issue and
continuation of efforts to resolve the conflict, remains in force.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are
currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

/Trend News/

URL:

Reuters, UK
March 6 2010

Turkish PM says U.S. vote to "greatly harm" ties

Sat Mar 6, 2010 8:34am EST

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A U.S. resolution that branded as genocide the
killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War One will
seriously damage U.S.-Turkish relations, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
said on Saturday.

NATO member Turkey, an ally crucial to U.S. interests in Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan and the Middle East, has expressed its outrage at
Thursday’s non-binding vote in the Foreign Affairs committee of the
U.S. House of Representatives and recalled its envoy to the United
States for consultations.

"The decision of the Foreign Affairs Committee will not hurt Turkey,
but it will greatly harm bilateral relations, interests and vision.
Turkey will not be the one who loses," said Erdogan, speaking at a
summit of Turkish businessmen.

The Obama administration made a last-minute appeal against the
resolution and has vowed to stop the vote, which was broadcast live on
Turkish television, from going further in Congress.

Turkey has said the resolution could jeopardize a fragile drive by
Turkey and Armenia to end a century of hostilities and lead to further
instability in the south Caucasus, a region crisscrossed by oil and
gas pipelines to Europe.

Turkey’s ambassador to the United States told journalists upon his
return on Saturday it was unclear when he would head back to
Washington following his talks with the president, prime minister and
foreign minister.

"I will return when the time is right … We will have to wait and
see," Namik Tan said. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted in a
media report as saying that the consultations could last "a long
time."

The resolution urges Obama to use the term "genocide" when he delivers
his annual message on the Armenian massacres in April.

Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed by Ottoman
Turks but denies that up to 1.5 million died and that it amounted to
genocide — a term employed by many Western historians and some
foreign parliaments.
Some analysts fear the vote may alienate Turkey at a time when there
are concerns that its warmer ties with Syria, Iran and Russia, could
herald a shift away from its traditional Western allies.

Commentators had said the bill could affect Washington’s use of the
Incirlik air base in southeast Turkey. Incirlik is vital in logistical
support for U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Turkey is a transit route for U.S. troops going to and from Iraq, and
the country has 1,700 non-combat troops in Afghanistan.

Ankara has also played a key role in Obama’s strategy to get
Afghanistan and Pakistan to work together in fighting al Qaeda and
Taliban militants in their borders and has hosted high-level talks
between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Thomas Grove; Editing by Noah Barkin)

Daily Latest News
March 5 2010

Armenian genocide turned Turkey red

Turkey react angrily on US lawmakers for branding Armenian killing in
World War I by Ottoman forces as `genocide’.

Turkey has recalled its ambassador after getting furious and address
to consider other responses as well. Government of Turkey, American
representatives and fellow Nato member have tried a lot to prevent
American congress not to vote on this issue, as this can harm the
relationships between Turkey and America. Even after strong opposition
the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the symbolic resolution on
Thursday.

Being an extremely sensitive issue in Turkey, it demands a call from
President Barack Obama to make sure that US foreign policy reflects a
correct perceptive of the `genocide`.

In order to influence commission to reject the resolution a Turkish
delegation had gone to Washington. It is being said that Turkey is
expecting the issue will not pass the House for a full vote as
happened two years ago.

Earlier also in 2007, it passed the committee stage, but then was
dropped after persuasion from the George W Bush administration.

Turkey agrees that killings were committed but disagrees that they
were part of the war and that there was no organized attempt to
demolish the Christian Armenian people.

Calling it `an important step towards the prevention of crimes against
humanity’ The Armenian government welcomed the votes.

There is an important part to be remembered that at the time of his
election campaign Mr Obama promised to brand the mass killings as
genocide. And last year in October last year, Turkey & Armenia has
done a notable agreement on stabilizing relations between them.

Turkey refuses to accept a crime that it has not committed, on the
other hand Armenia wants Turkey to recognize the killings as an act of
genocide

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915, when they were
deported en masse from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire.

Thousands of Armenians died in 1915 due to starvation and disease.
They have also suffered sexual abuse, rapes and humiliations by the
troops.

More than 20 countries have supported Armenian to recognize these
killings as genocide

Read more: -genocide-turned-turkey-red-06199#ixzz0hKZqRee2

AOL News
March 5 2010

Turkey Angry Over US Vote on Armenian Genocide

(March 5) — Turkey reacted with anger today at a congressional
panel’s vote labeling the 1915 killing of Armenians as genocide,
warning it could harm its relations with the U.S.

President Abdullah Gül said Thursday’s 23-22 committee vote was "an
injustice to history," adding that "Turkey will not be responsible for
the negative results that this event may lead to."

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country, which recalled
its ambassador to Washington minutes after the vote, had been accused
of a crime it did not commit, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said Turkey would assess what other measures it would take.

In reaction to the House panel’s vote, Turkey recalled its ambassador
to the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, here
at a news conference Thursday, said his country would consider taking
other actions.
Turkey is a key ally of the U.S., and its cooperation is seen as vital
in the war in Afghanistan, where it has sent about 1,700 troops. It
also holds a seat on the U.N. Security Council, and Washington was
looking to press Turkey to back a resolution calling for tougher
sanctions against Iran.

It remains unclear whether the resolution by the foreign affairs
committee will go for a vote to the full House of Representatives. A
similar resolution passed the committee stage in 2007 but was blocked
by the Bush administration because of its possible impact on
U.S.-Turkish relations.

The Obama administration voiced its opposition shortly before
Thursday’s resolution was passed, and Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton said, "We do not believe that the full Congress will or
should act upon that resolution, and we have made that clear to all
the parties involved."

But Turkey is not satisfied with Washington’s stance so far.

"The picture shows that the U.S. administration did not put enough
weight behind the issue," Davutoglu told reporters, The Associated
Press reported. "We are seriously disturbed by the result."

Many European countries and Canada have formally recognized the 1915
events as genocide in the face of Turkey’s protests.

Up to 1.5 million Armenians are estimated to have died in 1915 when
they were deported from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Turks. The
deaths have been acknowledged by Turkey, a Muslim country, but it says
it was not part of a systematic plan to wipe out the Christian
Armenian people.

The two countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations in October,
but the accord has not been ratified by the two nations.

enian-genocide-vote-in-congress-angers-turkey/1938 4781

15:32 05/03/2010 » Region
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey warned by Ankara

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey has been called to Turkish
Foreign Ministry, Hurriyet reported. According to the paper, Jeffery
declared that `we are against the resolution approved in the U.S.
House Committee on Foreign Affairs.’

According to the source, the U.S. diplomat has been seriously alarmed
by the Turkish officials. `Messages’ to Jeffery warned that the
approving of the resolution may deeply harm the Turkish-American ties
and the normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties.

Panorama.am recalls that Turkey has traditionally rejected the mass
killings of 1,5 million Armenians carried out early in the 20th
century and took the criticism of the West painfully. The Armenian
Genocide has been recognized by lots of states. It was first
recognized by Uruguay in 1965. Later Russia, France, Italy, the
Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina and
the US 42 states did the same. The Armenian Genocide has been
recognized also by Vatican, the Council of Europe, the World Council
of Churches.

Source: Panorama.am

Suite101.com
March 5 2010

1915 Mass Killings by Turks Condemned
U.S. Committee Labels Deaths of Armenians to be Genocide
Mar 5, 2010 Rupert Taylor

The House Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress narrowly
voted to declare the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians to be an act of
genocide.

In 1948, the United Nations defined genocide as an action intended `to
destroy in whole, or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious
group.’ Nobody disputes that the Nazi attempt to exterminate all Jews,
or the 1994 Hutu butchery of Tutsis in Rwanda, were acts of genocide.
But defining some other acts as genocide can be controversial.

Choosing Sides in World War I
In 1915, Armenia was part of the crumbling Ottoman Empire of Turkey.
It was then, and still is today, a small nation to the east of Turkey,
with many ethnic Armenians spilling over the border into eastern
Turkey.

The First World War was raging and Russian forces were advancing on
Turkey. The Armenians threw in their lot with Russia. Muslim Turkey
suspected that the Christian Armenians were some sort of fifth column
that would rise up against the government. To forestall any attempted
rebellion hundreds of thousands of Armenians were rounded up.

Death March into Syria

The Armenians were then marched into Syria and Iraq and left there in
a desert without resources. Along the way, thousands were robbed,
raped, tortured, and killed.

Grigoris Balakian, who survived the mass killings, gave an eyewitness
account of the harrowing experience in his book Armenian Golgotha; a
translation of which was published by his great nephew Peter in 2009.

60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon visited (February 28, 2010) a place
in northern Syria with Peter Balakian and found the bones of thousands
of victims of the massacre lying just below the surface of a hill.

Simon reports that, `450,000 Armenians died in this spot in the
desert. `In this region called Deir Zor, it is the greatest graveyard
of the Armenian Genocide,’ [Balakian] explained.

`Deir Zor is to Armenians what Auschwitz is to Jews.’

Turkey Denies the Armenian Massacre was Genocide

Turkey admits to the tragic events taking place but says it was not
genocide. The official Turkish version is that terrible things often
happen in wars and the deaths of the Armenians is one such sad episode
among many.

Armenians around the world have campaigned to have the affair
officially recognized as genocide. Turkey, with equal vigor, exerts
pressure to stop the genocide definition from being made. So far, most
historians and many national governments have sided with the
Armenians.

United States Defines Armenian Deaths as Genocide

On March 4, 2010, by a vote of 23 to 22, the House Foreign Affairs
Committee defined the mass killings as genocide despite a plea from
President Barack Obama to not hold a vote. The Committee decision is
non-binding and may never come to the House floor for a vote.

However, the condemnation was enough to draw a scolding for the
Turkish government. Al Jazeera (March 5, 2010) quotes a Turkish
government statement as saying, `We condemn this resolution which
accuses the Turkish nation of a crime it has not committed.’ Further
evidence of Turkey’s irritation over the issue was the recalling of
its ambassador to Washington.

Upsetting Diplomatic Efforts at Rapprochement
The Obama administration has been trying to smooth relations between
Turkey and Armenia, as had the previous Bush White House. The
committee vote throws sand into the diplomatic gears.

Writing in the New York Times (March 4, 2010), Brian Knowlton
comments: `Committee members were clearly torn between what they said
was a moral obligation to condemn one of the darkest periods of the
last century and the need to protect a relationship with Turkey, a
NATO partner vital to American regional and security interests.’

Sources

`Turkey and Armenia’s Battle over History.’ CBS 60 Minutes, February 28, 2010.

`House Panel Says Armenian Deaths Were Genocide.’ Brian Knowlton, New
York Times, March 4, 2010.

`Denial.’ Canada and the World Backgrounder, September 2008.

`Turkey Condemns U.S. Genocide Vote.’ Al Jazeera, March 5, 2010.

ass-killings-by-turks-condemned-a209551

PRESIDENT: WASHINGTON MUST AVOID DAMAGING RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Trend
March 4 2010
Azerbaijan

In a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Barack Obama,
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Washington should not allow the
relations between the U.S. and Turkey to be damaged on the backdrop
of their peak of development, the Turkish media reported.

In his turn, President Obama has called on Turkey to speed up the
ratification process of the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

The telephone conversation between the two presidents took place on
the backdrop of discussions in the U.S. Congress committee on foreign
affairs over resolution on so-called "Armenian genocide".

The idea of bringing the question into debate was made by chairman
of the committee on foreign affairs of the U.S. Congress Howard Berman.

Three Armenian and eight Turkish MPs are watching the discussions.

Prior to discussions, the U.S. President Barack Obama advised Congress
not to adopt resolution on genocide, CNN Turk reported.

Armenia claims that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against
Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Making greater efforts to promote
the issue internationally, Armenians have achieved its recognition
by parliaments of some countries.

Meanwhile the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a telephone
conversation with the chairman of the committee on foreign affairs
of the U.S. Congress said that the adoption of resolution jeopardizes
the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Foreign Minister of
Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu urged the U.S. not to risk the progress made
in resolving the Armenian-Turkish relations, considering this issue.

"The United States has now two options: to turn all the progress made
in relations between Turkey and Armenia and in general in the South
Caucasus to no, or to continue promoting the peace process in the
region, said Davutoglu. – We think they will choose the second option."

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on October 10, 2009 to
normalize relations between the two countries.

After his official visit to Moscow, the Prime Minister of Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara in December that this process is
directly related to the solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite
that some people have argued that the Turkish-Armenian relations are
separate from the Nagorno-Karabakh.