ANKARA (Combined Sources)–Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denounced a U.S. congressional committee over the weekend for scheduling a vote on the Armenian Genocide resolution, saying that its passage would seriously harm Turkey’s relations with both the United States and Armenia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Monday.
Davutoglu reportedly suggested that Washington is using the prospect of the resolution’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives to force Turkey to ratify its fence-mending agreements with Armenia. He also accused Yerevan of hampering further progress in international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Why is that draft included on the [committee] agenda now?” he said, according to a “Hurriyet” report cited by the Azerbaijani APA news agency on Monday. “Let them not expect from us the ratification of protocols by using April 24 as a tool for pressure.
“The draft’s inclusion on the agenda is not in the interests of the USA, Turkey and Armenia. This process can lead both our bilateral relations with the USA and Turkey’s rapprochement with Armenia into deadlock.”
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian Monday commented on the Turkish diplomat’s most recent warning to Washington. “Davutoglu has developed quite a nasty habit of lecturing America,” said Hamparian, urging Congress and President Obama to look past the foreign pressure and stand firm behind US values and principles.
“It’s no more Turkey’s place to tell our Congress how it can speak about the Armenian Genocide, than it is the Chinese government’s place to tell our President whether he can meet with the Dalai Lama,” Hamparian said. “Just as President Obama has properly taken a stand against China’s threats, so too should the entire U.S. government reject Ankara’s gag-rule on the proper commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.”
The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.252) which was introduced by U.S. lawmakers a year ago, urges President Barack Obama to “ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution.”
The resolution also “calls upon the President in the President’s annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide issued on or about April 24, to accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide and to recall the proud history of United States intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.”
Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Friday that the panel will vote on it early next month.
The vote will come less than two months before the 95th anniversary of the start of Genocide. Turkey, which denies its crime and continues to occupy Western Armenian lands, vehemently condemned similar bills that were passed by the committee but never put to a full House vote in the past. It refers to the crime not as genocide but as killings and ethnic strife that occurred on a small scale and were not the result of a premeditated government effort to exterminate Ottoman Turkey’s Armenian population.
Davutoglu said he raised Ankara’s concerns with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg at a meeting held on Saturday on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich. Speaking to Turkish journalists on his way back from the conference, he claimed that Armenia was also behind the scheduling of the congressional committee vote.
“At first, Armenia’s Constitutional Court made comments about the signed protocols that are unacceptable to us,” Davutoglu said, according to APA. “Then the Armenian side retreated from a constructive position during the [last] meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian. Now such a bill is being included on the U.S. Congress agenda.”
“The sequence of these three events is making us think that this is not happening by chance,” added Davutoglu.
Official Yerevan, meanwhile, signaled on Monday its satisfaction with progress of the genocide bill. When asked by RFE/RL to comment on the planned vote on the bill, an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman cited statements on the issue made by President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in recent months.
Sarkisian said in an October address to the nation that the Armenian genocide “must be recognized and condemned by the entire progressive humanity.” Nalbandian, for his part, told RFE/RL last month that Armenia “will never cast doubt on the importance of international recognition of the genocide.”
It is undersandable for Turkey and her people to be furious about the U.S acknowlwdgement of the Armenian Genocide for the short term. However, in the long term it would be beneficial for Turkey as well by paving the way for the eventual recognition of a taboo portion of her history.
A person, who does not know the Truth about the Armenian illegal authorities, might think that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is fighting at two fronts — against Armenia and against the U.S.A. The real situation is quite different. The Armenian illegal President is the devoted goalkeeper for the Turkish Government. So, whichever way the events develop the ball is going to occur in the goal of True Armenians. In future, this type of football diplomacy will be called Sarksyan-Nalbandyan anti-Armenian Gambit for the brotherly sake of Davutoglu.
Of course Davutoglu what did you expect? It’s about HIGH time after 95 years that the bill passes referring to the Armenian Genocide with it’s proper name a GENOCIDE; because it was a GENOCIDE, Davutoglu. How many years are you going to lie and cheat the Armenian people and with it humanity at large. Thanks to your and your country’s Genocide denials, other country’s and other belligerent presidents and governments are following in your country’s footsteps and killing innocent civilian people en masse. U.S.A. must stand now with the truth and be on the side of justice, for humanity and humility must reign in this world. It’s about time.
Turkey guilty of Genocide. Turkey hide, Turkey run, Turkey guilty of Genocide. Enough of covering up Turkish
crime against the human race. Shame on Turkey.
The truth never harmed anyone, Turkey wants to see it that way……….
the western world has to stop nurturing genocide deniers, otherwise they will take it to the next level, so better stop it now.
The turkish leadership has no remorse for the crimes committed against the Armenian people. This in itself is a precondition for the repetition of similar crimes in the future.
I don’t understand why goverment of Armenia does not remind this idiot (Davutoglu) that the Turkey was the one who add the precondition of Karabagh to this stupid Protocals. Why are they (Turkey) consistingly bring up the resolution of Karbagh as a precondition? Why the Armenian goverment does not tell them to shut up and look at the mirror for once?
Do you think the genocidal states of America, france, russia and germany are going to let the protocols disappear? They will come up with some clever ploy to save them. As for house resolution 252 it will never pass. Do you know why so many congressmen vote against an Armenian genocide resolution? Most who vote no readily admit that it happened. They cant because America got away with genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Indians. And naturally how can one complain about another committing genocide when one also has benefited from such crimes? As for turkish foreign policy concepts…..the proof is in the eating of the pudding. Turkish diplomats now look like idiots. I can’t wait for what comes next, I gotts me fistik-mistik all ready for this turkish comedy show.
It is evident who is trying to intervene in US interior affairs. Armenians have been lobbying for years to no avail. Pathetic Armenians, you can’t be fool enough to expect US to recognise genocide. Because US is being ruled by clever leaders, not like you fools! There was no armenia,of course no west armenia and won’t be in 10 years. Your 2.5 million state will be wiped out from the earth, from the history if you keep insisting on your stupid claims. Who do you think you are, a powerless country with no resources. Retarded Armenians! You sit on your chairs and make stupid comments here. Stand up and do something for the humanity instead!
By the way, one of your commentators, xxxx PhD nicknamed idiot, I wanna kick his ass. What is the point in putting PhD there? As if he was the only one in the world having a PhD.
I see why you are angrey at the PHD commentor,
you really are uneducated mongolian Turkish.
go get some education about history.
and dont call Armenian’s liar when by facts Turkey is,
and save your tears for the future embaresmants
you are going to need them.
To the stupid turk who needs a history lesson. not only the US goverment, but the whole world should recognize the armenian genoside because it is fact. It is funny how your goverment thinks we are invaders when it comes to garabagh, but it is ok for turks to invade Cypress. and for your information, there was an Armenian state long before there was a Turkish state. your people came from mongolia and settled in Anatolia 500 years ago. the only language you spoke was the language of sword untill Ataturk came and thought you guys some manners. it is funny you call armenians retard when ninthy percent of your people have no edgucation and still ridding donkeys. you want to join EU DREAM ON