TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS SEND MESSAGES OF WARNING TO THEIR US COUNTERPARTS

Turkish Press
Feb 26 2007

BRUSSELS – Turkish parliamentary delegation that is currently in
Brussels to attend NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings sent messages
of warning to their U.S. counterparts on the draft resolution about
so-called Armenian genocide.

Vahit Erdem, head of the delegation, said in his letter to John
Tanner, head of the U.S. parliamentary delegation, "we attribute
great importance to friendly relations between Turkey and the United
States. Any attempt that may harm those relations in a complicated
period following the Cold War era, should be avoided."

"Approval of the draft resolution by the U.S. Congress will disrupt
the bilateral relations. In that case, Turkey-the United States
relations will seriously damaged. By making such a political judgment,
the U.S. Congress will make a big mistake," he said.

Erdem stressed that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had
earlier proposed Armenia to form a committee of historians and open
all archives, but Armenian party did not give a response.

Meanwhile, Turkey-the United States Inter-parliamentary
Friendship Group Chairman Egemen Bagis held a series of talks with
U.S. congressmen on the same issue.

Bagis said that the congressmen understood the importance of the
matter, and pledged to explain it to their colleagues when they return
to Washington D.C.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress