ABDULLAH GUL: ISSUE OF LOCAL CHARACTER, ARMENIAN CAUSE, HAS NO RIGHT TO POISON TURKISH-AMERICAN STRATEGIC RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2007

ANKARA, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian cause is not the
issue of the U.S. policy. An issue of local character has no right
to poison strategic relations of Turkey. Abdullah Gul, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Turkey made such a statement. Finishing the
American meetings and returning Ankara, he stated that U.S. President
George Bush prepares to write to the Congress, and Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice will have meetings with Congressmen to prevent
adoption of the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

"The Congressmen must first of all think of the U.S. interests. It
factually appears that on the one hand we shall work for stability
in Afghanistan, Iraq, together struggle against terrorism, together
implement drafts in the sphere of energetics, and on the other hand,
that resolution will be adopted. It may not be adopted. And I believe
that the U.S. government will interfere and warn the Congress that
its activity exposes the U.S. national security interests to danger."