Cyprus-Forum.com

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Turkey Slams U.S. Over Armenian Genocide Bill

http://www.rferl.org/content/Turkey_Sla ... 52409.html

YEREVAN -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has denounced a U.S. Congressional committee for scheduling a vote on a resolution about the Armenian genocide, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.

Davutoglu said over the weekend that passage of the resolution would seriously harm Turkey's relations with both the United States and Armenia.

He also 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.

Davutoglu also accused Yerevan of hampering progress in international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Congressional resolution, which was introduced by U.S. lawmakers one year ago, urges President Barack Obama to "accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians [in the Ottoman Empire] as genocide."

Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on February 5 that the panel will vote on the resolution in early March. The vote will come less than two months before the 95th anniversary of the start of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians.

Turkey vehemently condemned similar bills passed by the committee but which were never put to a full vote in Congress's lower house in the past.

Armenian officials, meanwhile, signaled today their satisfaction with the progress of the "genocide resolution."

When asked by RFE/RL to comment on the planned vote, an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman cited statements on the issue made by President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard 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."

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http://armenianow.com/commentary/20758/ ... _editorial

If not clear before, it should be crystal, now, that Turkey has no intention (if it ever did) of following through with the foreign policy protocols that have served an opposite purpose to their intended cause of reconciling enemies.

The latest in a convincing line of turnabouts by the Turks came Monday when Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu – among other appalling comments – referred to a pending U.S. Congress resolution on genocide as “blackmail”.

“Why do these events occur in this very period? When signing protocols with Armenia, we have demonstrated the political will and started rapprochement on a goodwill basis. They should not blackmail us with April 24 . . .”

There are so many reasons for outrage at such a remark. The eyes cross at the gall, the callousness, arrogance, the cruelty of anyone – to say nothing of a state official – linking the deaths of 1.5 million of ANY ethnicity or faith, to an act of sly politics.

Let Davutoglu hold his opinion about (his words) “the so-called genocide”, but even a Turk given the world forum that this regrettable protocol process has afforded should have the decency his position demands to speak with some reverence for Armenia’s dead.

“They start raising the issue of ‘genocide’ every time before April 24, like Greeks do when they raise old problems before the EU-Turkish summits,” the foreign minister carried on.

Well, pardon the world, Mr. Foreign Minister, if the rest of civilization just happens to find slaughter and oppression a distasteful trait by any nation, to say nothing of one seeking membership in the European Union. You might want to know that the EU has among its bodies a Genocide Network, but is yet to form a “so-called genocide” council.

Sorry, too, if the once-a-year reference to your nation’s failed attempts to wipe out an entire race distresses you. April 24 comes 365 days a year for your neighbors, some of your own citizens, and for families across the globe whose roots were severed on land you now call yours.

Decent folk anywhere should flood Ankara with messages objecting to Davutoglu’s insult that has crossed the lines of political point of view, of public behavior by a diplomat, of simple respect for the dead.

Turkish people of good will should be embarrassed.

Armenians should just be quiet and dignified.

I’m neither Armenian, a decent folk, nor dignified. So here’s my message to the foreign minister: Go sit on a kebab.

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I’m neither Armenian, a decent folk, nor dignified. So here’s my message to the foreign minister: Go sit on a kebab.

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Armenian genocide bill to test US-Turkish ties again

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2010-02-08

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Top Turkish, US Officials Brawl At Clinton-Erdogan Meeting

http://www.asbarez.com/77652/top-turkis ... n-meeting/

DOHA, Qatar (Combined Sources)—A brawl broke out between a top-ranking Turkish official and a US ambassador on Sunday during talks between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Qatari capital of Doha, the Turkish Today’s Zaman Reported.

According to official’s, Erdogan and Clinton had met to discuss Turkey-Armenia relations, Iran, Cyprus peace talks, the Middle East, the war on terror, economic ties, and Iraq.

The fight was reported to have broken out between the US ambassador to Qatar and an advisor to the Turkish prime minister at the end of the meeting between Clinton and Erdogan.

The altercation took place after the US envoy entered the room to remind those present to close the meeting as the time was over.

In response, Erdogan’s adviser said, “It is not for you to judge the importance of our meeting, you offend our country,” Zaman quoted the official as saying.

The quarrel led to physical confrontation and the two diplomats were separated, but with difficulty, the paper added.

The Meeting

Diplomatic sources said Turkey’s rapprochement with Armenia and Iran’s nuclear program were heavily focused on during the meeting. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Iran on Monday. He has said he is optimistic about further diplomatic steps.

Armenia’s constitutional court’s decision was also discussed at the meeting. The Turkish delegation said Turkey had fulfilled its responsibilities and that the Armenian court’s ruling had hampered the process.

The Turkish delegation also emphasized that Turkey considered the Armenian issue a part of the normalization process in the Caucasus and called on the Minsk Group to undertake a more active role.

The parties highlighted the importance of the continuation of the negotiation process in Cyprus.

They also agreed that cooperation in the fight against terrorism should be maintained.

Turkish State Minister Zafer Caglayan will pay an official visit to the United States in the coming weeks under an economic partnership program between the two countries.

During the meeting, Clinton said she shared Erdogan’s sensitivity about the situation in Gaza.

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Fight broke out at Erdogan-Clinton meeting

http://news.am/en/news/14346.html

An ugly incident occurred at Erdogan-Clinton meeting on February 14, CNNturk reports.

When the scheduled 20 minutes ran out, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar entered the room and warned U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton it is time to close the meeting, as she would be late for the meeting with Emir of Qatar. In responde to this, adviser to Turkish PM said: “It is not for you to judge the importance of our meeting, you offend our country.”

Thereafter, the high-ranking officials fought hand to hand and were hardly pulled apart. The infuriated Ambassador left the room slamming the door.

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US, Turkish officials get physical in Qatar

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=11 ... =351020205

A fight broke out between high-ranking US and Turkish officials at a meeting held between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Qatar.

The fight was reported between the US ambassador to Qatar and an advisor to the Turkish prime minister at the end of a 20-minute meeting between Clinton and Erdogan on Monday.

The altercation took place after the US envoy entered the room to remind those present to close the meeting as the time was over.

In response, Erdogan's adviser said, "It is not for you to judge the importance of our meeting, you offend our country," the Turkish daily Today's Zaman reported.

The quarrel led to physical confrontation and the two diplomats were separated with difficulty.

SB/HGH/MMN

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Done

Vote has passed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8550928.stm

Turkish anger at US Armenian 'genocide' vote

Turkey has reacted angrily to a US congressional panel's resolution describing as genocide killings of Armenians in World War I.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had been accused of a crime it did not commit, adding the resolution would harm Turkish-US relations.

Ankara has recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and says it is considering other responses.

Correspondents say it is still an extremely sensitive issue in Turkey.

The government of Turkey, a key American ally and fellow Nato member, had lobbied hard for the American Congress not to vote on the issue.

The White House had also warned that the vote would harm reconciliation talks between Turkey and Armenia.

Delegation

The resolution was narrowly approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

It calls on President Barack Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the "genocide" and to label the World War I killings as such in his annual statement on the issue.

It was approved by 23 votes to 22 by the committee.

A Turkish parliamentary delegation had gone to Washington to try to persuade committee members to reject the resolution.

The BBC's Jane O'Brien in Washington says Turkey must be hoping that, as with a similar resolution two years ago, the issue will not come to the floor of the House for a full vote.

In 2007, it passed the committee stage, but was shelved after pressure from the George W Bush administration.

Turkey accepts that atrocities were committed but argues they were part of the war and that there was no systematic attempt to destroy the Christian Armenian people.

The Armenian government welcomed the vote, calling it "an important step towards the prevention of crimes against humanity".

'Too important'

During his election campaign Mr Obama promised to brand the mass killings genocide.

In October last year, Turkey and Armenia signed a historic accord normalising relations between them after a century of hostility.

Armenia wants Turkey to recognise the killings as an act of genocide, but successive Turkish governments have refused to do so.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915, when they were deported en masse from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire. They were killed by troops or died from starvation and disease.

Armenians have campaigned for the killings to be recognised internationally as genocide - and more than 20 countries have done so.

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More threats after the vote


Turkish President: “This decision will harm peace and stability in South Caucasus”

Baku – APA. Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed regret on adoption of the Armenian ‘genocide’ draft by the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.

According to APA, Turkish President said Turkey would not bear responsibility for undesirable problems between the two countries. The people of Turkey will never recognize this decision, President Gul said.

http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=117372

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BYE BYE

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... J_US_World

Genocide Vote Riles Turkey

Ankara Recalls Ambassador After U.S. Panel Condemns 1915 Slaughter of Armenians

A U.S. congressional committee approved a resolution condemning the 1915 slaughter of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, rejecting a last-minute Obama administration effort to derail it and putting a chill on relations with Turkey.