TURKEY FIGHTING GENOCIDE VOTE
By Michael Doyle mdoyle@mcclatchydc.Com

Miami Herald, FL
Oct 6 2007

A nonbinding House resolution on the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 would
severely strain U.S.-Turkey relations, Turkey’s ambassador warned.

WASHINGTON — Approval of an Armenian genocide resolution by the House
of Representatives would have "very, very unfortunate" consequences for
U.S.-Turkish relations, Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy warned Friday.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the diplomatically
charged resolution Wednesday. In an interview, Sensoy said "we are
deploying all the efforts that we can" to defeat the nonbinding
measure, which he thinks could unravel a strategic alliance.

"I fear — and expect, in fact — a strong reaction from the Turkish
people," Sensoy said, "and of course no government can remain
indifferent to this reaction."

Introduced by Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif., and Rep. Adam Schiff,
D-Calif., the 1,780-word resolution declares that "the Armenian
Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman Empire from
1915 to 1923." Armenians say an estimated 1.5 million died during
the period.

Symbolically, the resolution puts the House on record as characterizing
the Armenian slaughter as genocide. Politically, it has high visibility
in regions with large Armenian-American populations, including southern
California, California’s San Joaquin Valley, Michigan and New Jersey.

"Silence is genocide’s greatest ally, and I am very happy that the
silence regarding the Armenian genocide will be ending next week,"
said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif. "It is well past due that the Armenian
genocide finally be recognized as such in our nation."

The last time a resolution on Armenian genocide came before the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, in 2005, it was approved 40-7.

Congressional Republican leaders blocked it from reaching the House
floor.

The House committee likewise had approved an Armenian genocide
resolution in 2000. House Republican leaders also killed that measure.

This year, 226 House members publicly support the resolution,
including 23 members of the foreign affairs panel. Nonetheless,
Sensoy said "it will be a close race" Wednesday.

Certainly, no expense is being spared. Justice Department records
show that Turkey signed a $100,000-a-month contract in May with the
lobbying firm DLA Piper, one of several hired to fight the resolution.

Separately, Turkey paid Bob Livingston, former House Appropriations
Committee chairman, $625,000 for work from March 1 to Aug. 31, records
show. Last month, Turkey added public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard
to its roster at $113,000 a month.

"It is out of necessity, of course," Sensoy said. "On the Armenian
side, many people are working, and we need the lobbying firms to have
certain access on Capitol Hill.

"It is true that what happened in 1915 is a very sad episode in
our common history," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of Armenians
perished. Hundreds of thousands of Turks perished. . . . We don’t
need a new generation of people to hate one another."