European Jewish Press, Belgium
Aug 23 2007

Ankara to foster strategy to counter ADL position on genocide of
Armenians

EJP Updated: 23/Aug/2007 18:01

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan might try to engage in
phone diplomacy "to convince the Jewish lobby in the US."

ANKARA (EJP)—The recognition of the World War I-era killings of
Armenians as genocide by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League
(ADL) has shocked Turkey, which is now trying to overcome this by
taking compensatory measures, the Turkish Daily News writes Thursday.

The ADL is an advocacy group aiming to stop the defamation of the
Jewish people.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has told Israeli Ambassador Pinhas
Avivi that Turkey is "disappointed" over ADL’s remarks.

"We see this statement as an unfortunate one that is unjust to the
Holocaust, which has no precedent, and to its victims. And we expect
it to be corrected,’ the foreign ministry said.

The Israeli embassy has released a statement in which it said that
there is "no change" in the Israeli government’s stance regarding the
issue.

Experts and advisors to the Turkish government held a meeting with
diplomats at the foreign ministry in Ankara on Wednesday to determine
a strategy "that will win back the hearts of Jewish Americans,"
Turkey’s English daily said.

According to diplomatic sources, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan might try to engage in phone diplomacy to convince the Jewish
lobby.

`The strategy is to convince the ADL first, and if we cannot do that
then Turkey will try to counter the Jewish lobby in the U.S. This
cannot be a blank acceptance for Turkey,’ said a Turkish diplomat.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ADL’s director Abraham Foxman
said that the killings of Armenians by the Turks "were indeed
tantamount to genocide,’ days after the organisation fired a regional
director for taking the same stance.

`We were not expecting such a decision. Last week, they fired the
director who used [the term `genocide’]. What I understood is that
after the director was fired, a discussion started in the ADL. We
were in contact with the ADL two days ago,` said an expert on
American-Turkish relations quoted by The Turkish Daily News.

The decision might negatively influence Jewish votes in the US
Congress since there are more than 100 Jewish Americans in the House
of Representatives, the expert said.

`If they insist on defining the period as genocide, then Turkey will
take necessary steps against that. Of course we will not identify the
Turkish Jewish community with the American Jewish one. We will also
get in contact with Israel to understand the reasons behind the
decision,’ the source added.

Since the Jewish lobby is seen as an important political tool for
Turkey’s policies in Washington, Ankara avoids making non-diplomatic
statements in reference to the Jews.

Ankara fears that the US will recognize the events of 1915-1919 as
genocide, and is also concerned about its impact on bilateral
relations.