Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
COALITION AGAINST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION CONTINUES TO UNRAVEL
— Xerox, American Express, Altria, and FedEx are
the Latest to Distance themselves from Turkey’s
Efforts to Defeat Human Rights Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – Major U.S. companies continue to distance
themselves from two corporate coalitions that are publicly backing
the Turkish government’s campaign against the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, according to documents released today by the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
The American Turkish Council (ATC) and the American Business Forum
in Turkey (ABFT), both coalitions claiming to represent U.S
corporations doing business in Turkey, have each publicly – and
aggressively – opposed the adoption by Congress of legislation
recognizing the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.106/S.Res.106.)
In response to these efforts, the ANCA sent formal letters last
month to each member of the two coalitions, requesting that they
clarify their position on the Armenian Genocide Resolution. To
date, the ANCA has received written confirmation from a number of
these companies that they are not opposed to the adoption of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution. Among these are several major
multinationals, such as Microsoft, Xerox, American Express, Altria,
Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, and Cargill.
Relevant excerpts from these letters are provided below:
* Leonard W. Condon, Vice President of Altria’s International
Business Relations, explained in a letter to the ANCA that: "Our
international tobacco company, Philip Morris International (PMI) is
a member of the Turkish American Council. However, neither PMI nor
Altria have taken a position – and neither company plans to take a
position – on the proposed Resolution." Altria is ranked 20th on
the Fortune 500 and had revenues last year of $101.4 billion.
* Thomas Schick, the Executive Vice President for American Express
Corporate Affairs and Communications, in a letter to ANCA, wrote:
"Please be assured that, as a matter of company policy, American
Express does not take a position on issues before any legislative
body that do not directly affect our company." American Express is
ranked 69th on the Fortune 500 and brought in revenues during 2006
of $30.08 billion.
* Ann S. Dickey, Staff Vice President of Government Affairs for
Federal Express, wrote to the ANCA that: "FedEx does not
participate in communications regarding information of this
nature." FedEx is ranked 70th on the Fortune 500 and generated
$32.3 billion in revenue last year.
* Anne M. Mulcahy, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of
Xerox, wrote that, despite its listing on the ABFT website: "Xerox
is not a member of the ABFT. Therefore, Xerox did not participate
in any way in the decision of the ABFT to send a letter to the
United States Congress." Xerox is ranked 142nd on Fortune 500 and
had annual revenues last year of $15.9 billion.
* Clement R. Gagne III, Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe’s
Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs, in a letter addressed to
ANCA, wrote that: "Microsoft has not participated in any
discussions or decisions of ABFT, and was not involved with the
communication to which you referred in your letter." Microsoft is
ranked 48th on the 2006 Fortune 500 and had annual revenue last
year of $44.28 billion.
* Thomas M. Gorrie, Ph.D., Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Vice
President for Government Affairs and Policy, wrote to the ANCA
that: "Johnson and Johnson in Turkey is not a board member and has
not been engaged in any role in the ABFT communication you have
mentioned in your letter. As [the] world’s largest and most
comprehensive and broadly based health care company, we would not
engage in political issues of this nature." Johnson & Johnson is
ranked 32nd on the Fortune 500 and had annual revenue last year of
$53.32 billion.
* Van Yeutter, Cargill’s Director of International Business
Development and Washington Operations, explained in writing that:
"We are a commercial enterprise focused on business matters rather
than on political or foreign policy matters. As such the company
does not have a position on the issue of your enquiry." Cargill, a
multinational corporation based in Minnesota, is the world’s second
largest privately held corporation. In 2006, it had revenue of
$75.2 billion.
The controversy surrounding this issue was the subject of a March
28, 2007 article by Kate Ackley in Roll Call, the Capitol Hill
newspaper. The article cites ATC President, Jim Holmes, listing
Philip Morris International as one of the companies he claims is
working through the council to stop the Armenian Genocide
Resolution. This point is clearly contradicted by the letter from
Altria, the parent company to Philip Morris, which states that
neither company opposes H.Res.106.
Copies of these letters can be obtained by writing to the ANCA at
[email protected].
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