US MAY USE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO PRESSURE TURKEY IN IRAQI ISSUE
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31. ARMINFO. The US may use the Armenian Genocide as
a trump for pressuring Turkey in the issue of Iraq, says Milliyet
(Turkey).
This concern is due to the 2005 commemoration of the 90th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide in Armenia and many countries and to the fact
that many European parliaments are considering the Armenian Genocide
recognition. Especially worrisome is the statement by a European
ambassador that Condoleeza Rice may be not very much included to
prevent initiatives for the Armenian Genocide acknowledgement unlike
the previous US state secretary and that “Washington may wish to use
the problem to pressure Turkey in the Iraqi issue.”
The Turkish FM is sensing a potential problem here. Ankara is taking
no step without considering the Armenian Genocide problem. The
Institute of Turkish History is preparing a series of articles on the
issue. Historian Betul Aslan has published a book entitled “The
Armenian Events in Erzurum” which is one more attempt to mislead the
international community. In fact Aslan is trying to prove that 50,000
Turks were killed in Erzurum and neighboring areas in 1918-1920.
Milliyet regrets that the May 2005 Vienna conference of Armenian and
Turkish historians will not take place because of Armenia’s refusal.