WASHINGTON—US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon on Wednesday defended Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threats earlier this week of deporting alleged illegal Armenian workers in Turkey if a Congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide were to be approved.
“In my opinion, Prime Minister Erdogan only wanted to highlight that there are 100,000 Armenians living in Turkey illegally. I don’t believe he threatened to deport them from the country. Those are separate issues,” rationalized Gordon, at a press conference preceding a conference on US-Turkish relations at the Brookings Institute.
“Every country has an issue with illegal immigrants and approaches it according to its laws. That has no relation whatsoever with any vote in the United States or the House or Representatives. Let’s not search for a connection between the Congress’ activities and that issue,” said Gordon, adding that the US would like Erdogan to attend a nuclear security summit next month in Washington.
“Erdogan is invited. We have not yet received a formal reply as to who is going to represent Turkey. I would very much like for him to participate,” said Gordon.
Erdogan told the BBC’s Turkish language service on Tuesday that if necessary, Turkish authorities could deport Armenians living illegally in Turkey.
“There are 170,000 Armenians in my country, of which 70,000 are my citizens. We’re turning a blind eye to the other 100,000. However, tomorrow, if it becomes necessary, I would say to those 100,000, go back to your country. Why? Because they’re not my citizens; I’m not obliged to keep them in my country,” Erdogan was reported as saying.
During the actual Brooking Institute conference, Gordon reiterated Washington’s call for Armenia and Turkey to unconditionally adhere to the protocols process.
Gordon said President Barack Obama conveyed the same message to his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, in a phone conversation earlier this month.
“We appreciate the effort that has been made so far and urge both countries to ratify the protocols without preconditions and as soon as possible, a point President Obama made on the phone to President Gul just two weeks ago,” he said.
Gordon also reaffirmed the Obama administration’s opposition to the Genocide resolution approved by U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4. However, he denied earlier claims of a deal between Democratic Congressional leaders and the White House to block the measure.
“Congress is an independent body and they are going to do what they decide to do,” he said, according to The Associated Press.
Philip Gordon, is the state department considering deporting all these illegeal “tourists” from turkey, that flock the city of Hollywood and hang out at Cravings on Sunset blvd, between the months of March till end of April? What about all those illegal turks living in the United States illegally?
None expects
A. the one of Turkey-Armenia Protocols’ contractors to let Turkey go nongratified. Gordon can “translate” any other, even more barbaric, blood-sipping speech of Erdogan;
B. Gordon – Assistant secretary of Hillary Clinton, let pass unnoticed, that Erdogan did not speak about illegals in general, but selected Armenians (like Jews, or Tsigans were selected) for deportation;
C. Obama administration executor to disclose naively, that there was an underground deal;
I expect, meanwhile, that Gordon considers stopping putting pressure on Armenia, and instead starting process of recognition of Artsakh independent by the USA.
So much for the credentials of this double faced lying adminstration,Philip Gordon and the likes of him speaks volumes regarding this administration human values and what they stand for, come November we know what to do
Phillip Gordon has made a huge error of judgement. He has FLIPED. We await the FLOP!
On Dec, 8 ,09 on Charlie Rose show, this psycho-babbler Erdogan dude, called the Armenian genocide ,” completely a lie” .
Now,he claims that there are 100,000 Armenians living in ‘ HIS COUNTRY ?’ illegaly.
I say, this pathetic liars’ statement is ‘COMPLETELY A LIE’ . Just check his December’s remark.
I think the Phillip Gordons and Jack Straws of the world who are pushing Turkey to commit genocide! Now they are standing by erdeogan’s inhumane proclamations.
This is exactly what happened in 1915. The so called ‘civilized’ world stood by and watched while 2,000,000 Armenians were deported and masacred and slaughtered, along with thousands of Assyrians, Greeks as well as Arabs.
The Taliat’s and their allies live again.
SHAME! SHAME on them all.
Gorden he pulled wrong book from book shelf !!!
Erdogan will do a favor to Armenia, if he deports those Armenians, which he thinks are illegally in Turkey. Let the Turks themselves do the cheap and dirty labor works that Armenians have been forced to do. This is a disgrace to the administration in Armenia to allow the Armenian citizens to face such an economic hardship that in order to put a piece of bread on their family tables have been forced to go to Turkey and perform low level jobs.
In return, the Armenian government should reciprocate the courtesy and expel the Turkish (non-Armenian) citizens who are in Armenia to enjoy their time. They can do that in their own country or somewhere else.
Where are the heroes like Zoravar Andranik, Zoravar Dro, Aram Manookian, Garegin Njdeh, General Movses Silikian, Gevorg Chavoosh, Serop Aghbyur, and many others like them to rise and clean up this disgrace.
Could Phillip Gordon say that if the ‘Armenians’ of Turkey were the ‘Jews’ of Turkey?
I am waiting for an answer.. no?? how hypocritical!!
Why is Phillip Gordon not talking about other ILLEGAL nationals in Turkey (who are much much more than Armenians)?
I am still waiting for an answer… no?? how hypocritical!!
And this guy has the guts to tell Armenia to ratify the Protocols???
I would TELL HIM, to tell his BOSSES (i.e. Obama & Clinton) to recognize the Armenian Genocide first (their promise). I have even a better advise for them SSSHHHHUUUTT UPPPP!
Phillip Gordon is nothing but the mouthpiece of the TURKISH GOVERNMENT.
Mr. Gordon (and other political figures) worries that Erdogan demonstrates that Turkey can lose battle without starting it.
Here is an example from history:
“In April and May 1944, when the loss of the war was a foregone conclusion, the German Nazi and their Hungarian accomplices began the mass deportation of Hungarian Jews, at the rate of 12,000 per day”.
Some calculation:
If Erdogan can make the same rate, then the mythical 100,000 deportation will be done in 8-9 days.
It speaks volumes regarding the attitude and policies of USA visa via Armenia, American Armenians shouldn’t be fooled from this Obama administration with words, deeds is what matters.
Philip Gordon has once again proved that we are dealing with an admistration which has no morals left it has sunk to a new low.
They should be punished in the coming elections.
The US really needs to keep its nose out of the Caucasus…Do they want to make another mess out there?
They have no clue what the region’s geo-politics involve…shame on the State Department for they go on showing more and more ignorance….everything they touch, they turn into mud…!
We must expose Gordon’s defensive position on the racist comments made by Erdogan against Armenians. Armenian asked “Why is Phillip Gordon not talking about other ILLEGAL nationals in Turkey (who are much much more than Armenians)?” That’s a question that needs to be asked directly to him and answered immediatly. To know that I voted for Obama and that he appointed these people, who day by day are turning their backs/stabbing us in the back including Obama, makes me furious. There is not one person in the administration that will stand up to Turkey. Their threats and the recall of their ambassador should show that Turkey is only America’s friend through preconditions. i.e. if you (America) do this, then you risk losing ____________(fill in the blank) with Turkey. Its a childish game that Obama and his cohorts play to please Turkey. It is the American people alongside Armenian Americans that help bring resolutions, such as H.R. 252, to congress and it is the Turkish government that disrupts what should have been labeled as genocide the day Raphael Lemkin coined the word. Lets not forgot that in America in 1915 the term race extermination was used to define what was happening to us in our homeland. Its a simple case of tyranny, the king vs the people. Obama masked himself during his campaign and unmasked himself once he got into power. He has made America look weak: Once the committee voted for H.R. 252 and Turkey pulled its ambassador, Clinton was quick to act by stating that the administration is going to do all they can do from letting it reach the house floor. For years we have fought to bring justice and recognition to what happened to our famillies 95 years ago. Its a form of respect, morality, and humanity. Yet King Obama, Queen Clinton, and Prince Gordon choose to be pawns of Turkey and deny us, the descendents of the victims and surviors of genocide, of that right.