BAGIS ON ARMENIAN RESOLUTION
Turkish Press, MI
March 13 2007
WASHINGTON D.C. – "If the draft (on the so-called Armenian genocide)
submitted to the U.S. Congress is adopted, Turkish-U.S. relations
will be harmed by the Congress itself," Egemen Bagis, Justice &
Development Party (AKP) MP, said on Tuesday.
Bagis is a member of the Turkish parliamentary delegation actually
in Washington D.C. to lobby against the draft resolution.
In an exclusive interview with the A.A correspondent, Bagis said,
"we are endeavoring to prevent the U.S. Congress to make a wrong
historic decision. We will inform and warn them within this scope."
Expressing uneasiness over the situation since he is also the Chairman
of Turkish-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, Bagis said,
"Congress members are under pressure by their own voters. The voters
exerce pressure for their own ethnic interests."
"This resolution will also kill the chance of Armenia to open up
to the West. Turkey is the gate for Armenia to open to the Western
world. This is a passage of peace, civilization, democracy and
economic development. However, Armenia insistently try to close this
gate through such kind of campaigns," Bagis indicated.
"Armenia should abandon remaining stuck between the controversial
pages of the history and should catch up with the 21st century. In that
case we will have many things to discuss with Armenia," Bagis noted.
On the other hand Turkish parliamentary delegation members met
executives of AIPAC, a Jewish institution, on Monday evening.
The delegation is expected to have talks in U.S. State Department
and meet executives of some Jewish organizations today.
The delegation will also have talks in the Congress on Wednesday
and Thursday.