THE MEETING WAS SCHEDULED LONG AGO AND WAS BY NO MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE ARMENIAN RESOLUTION, SAYS HEAD OF THE TURKISH ARMED FORCES IN WASHINGTON
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
15/02/2007

Commander of Turkish Armed Forces In Washington, DC

Head of the Turkish Armed Forces Yasar Buyukaniti on his official visit
to Washington, was to be received by US Vice-President Dick Chaney
and Steven Hadley, Security Councilor to President Bush. The agenda
of the meeting included the issues of political processes in Iraq,
struggle against PKK and of the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

Abdullah Gul, Foreign Minister of Turkey, who had discussed the same
questions on his earlier visit to the USA, was disappointed about
the talks on the genocide resolution. The results of Buyakaniti’s
talks will be known after the meetings. Nevertheless, the Turkish
Armed Forces Chief’s words, spoken at Turkey’s Embassy in the USA,
speak about the anxiety of the Turkish officials.

CNN-Turk reports the statement by Yasar Buyukaniti: "We are
considerably disappointed by that (- the pending Resolution on the
Armenian Genocide).

Nevertheless I am not willing to start an argument that in case of
adopting the resolution we will take counter measures. I don’t want
to speak such words, as the US Armed Forces are our partners. As a
serviceman I cannot impose any demand upon the US Congress. I have
never thought of that, though I think that the conscious citizens
of America will not strike such a blow on Turkey." In the end he
stated that his visit had been scheduled long ago and was by no means
connected with the Armenian resolution.