TURKISH LOBBY IN U.S. STRENGTHENS EFFORTS AGAINST ARMENIAN AND KURDISH ISSUES

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.09.2007 18:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As Washington has increasingly been turning a blind
eye to the red lines of Turkish foreign policy, pro-Turkish lobbies
are looking for ways to strengthen their position in the United States.

The American Turkish Society (ATS), one of the leading Turkish
lobbies in the U.S., asked key businessmen to become members on its
board. Muhtar Kent, the president and chief operating officer of The
Coca-Cola Company, Murat Megalli, JP Morgan Turkey director and Haluk
Dincer, president of the Food and Retailing Group joined the ATS. With
its new members the ATS is targeting to become more effective in
better promoting Turkish-U.S. relations. After Ahmet Ertegun, the
founder of Atlantic Records and also long time president of the ATS
passed away last year many were concerned that the Turkish community
in the U.S. had lost an important voice. Ertegun successfully brought
American and Turkish businessmen and politicians together and almost
served as an unofficial ambassador for well over 20 years. Kent was
one of the names being mentioned behind the scenes to take Ertegun’s
place to promote Turkish-American relations.

Muhtar Kent’s good relations with the Jewish community is accepted
as an important asset for the Turkish lobbies. Especially after
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) acknowledged the Armenian Genocide
in August.

Although the ADL’s statement reaffirmed that the legislation pending in
Congress to recognize the genocide is "a counterproductive diversion"
it created some concern in Ankara.

Many Democrats think that those concerns are valid.

Off the record some Democrats say that the Armenian Genocide Resolution
will for sure pass sometime this fall.

Political observers believe that as well as the Armenian Genocide
issue, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is another problem
that Washington and Ankara should find common ground on.

Sources close to Democrats say a process is underway to prepare a
report on the PKK.

However, many think that a report of this nature will be a bitter pill
to swallow for Ankara. It will need a strong lobby in Washington in the
meantime. Kent is seen as an important player in this picture. However
it is still a question mark if Kent’s busy schedule will allow him
to play the role expected of him, Turkish Daily News reports.