SAFRASTYAN: ANKARA LIKELY TO TAKE ANTI-U.S. STEPS IF H.RES.106 PASSES

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.10.2007 14:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Turkey may put into practice its threats to the
United States if the Armenian Genocide resolution passes. However,
they are not likely to do much harm to the U.S.," Director of the
Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy of Sciences, Dr Ruben
Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"Evidently, Turkey will launch military operations in Northern Iraq in
revenge. Turkish PM Erdogan has already given consent to intrusion. An
appropriate draft bill will be approved in the parliament. As to
restricting the U.S. use of Incirlik base and blocking crucial supply
routes to Iraq, I do not suppose Turkey will resort to such extreme
measures," he said.

"Passage of the H.Res.106 may push Turkey to a greater sovereignization
of foreign policy. Striving after the role of main regional
power, Turkey wants to ensure its security at the expense of its
neighbors. This tradition has been maintained since the times of the
Ottoman Empire.

There is one more circumstance. This resolution is non-binding. It
can’t force the President to use the term ‘genocide’ in his
speech. It’s just a House Bill, which will not be introduced into the
Senate. As for Turkey, it has simply taken an opportunity to pursue
its own foreign policy," Dr Safrastyan said.

The H.Res.106 resolution is scheduled for a vote October 10 before
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.