CO-CHAIRMEN OF CONGRESS ARMENIAN CAUCUS CALLS TO REJECT THREATS ADDRESSED TO RESOLUTION ON GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2007

WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Frank Pallone and Joe
Knollenberg, the U.S. Congress Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen expressed
their indignation on the occasion of the threats expressed recently by
the Turkish government, according to which, if the Congress discusses
the resolution on the Armenian Genocide, then Turkey will take steps
which will subject to danger the security of the American troops which
are in Iraq. The Armenian National Committee of Armenia states about
it. In the letter addressed to Tom Lantos, the House Foreign Affairs
Committee Chairman, Pallone and Knollenberg mention that "we understand
that senior officias of the Turkish government have warned that if
this resolution is discussed at the Congress, they will close the
ways supplying our armed forces serving in Iraq. This impudent threat
addressed to U.S. military actions is simply inadmissible and very
insulting." Members of the House of Representatives also expressed
their fear connected with some officials of the government who,
yielding threats of the Turkish government, called on the Congress
members to lay obstacle on the way of just simple discussion of this
draft dedicated to the human rights. The letter addressed to Lantos
was sent to Abdullah Gul after the three-day visit paid to Washington
when he stated that hindering adoption of the resolution concerning
the Armenian Genocide was the primary task of their government during
the discussions taken place with the U.S. high-ranking officials. "In
this case, adoption of this draft addressed against Turkey will spoil
everything. I said to my colleague that this step will have great
influence on our relations," Gul said during the press conference
taken place immediately after his meeting with U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.