TURKEY’S GUL "CONDEMNED" H.RES.106 ADOPTION BY HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.10.2007 13:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish President Abdullah Gul has "strongly
condemned" adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution by the
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, calling it "inadmissible."
Accusing American politicians of closing their ears to reason, the
Turkish President said, "They are sacrificing a strategic ally for
domestic political gain." "The resolution recognizing the Armenian
Genocide does not favor the interest of Americans," he added,
PressTV.ir reports.
With a vote of 27 to 21, the influential panel of the U.S. House of
Representatives adopted H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
thus opening the way for full house consideration of the measure.
In his opening remarks, the Committee chairman, Tom Lantos (D-CA),
called on the Congressmen to vote honestly.
Introduced on January 30th by Rep. Adam Schiff along with
Representative George Radanovich (R-CA), Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Thaddeus
McCotter (R-MI), the Armenian Genocide resolution calls upon the
President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States
reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues
related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented
in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide. The
resolution is cosponsored by 226 Members of Congress from 39 states.
The H.Res.106 is just a House resolution. It’s not sent for approval
to the Senate and is not supposed to be signed by the President.
However, several days ago Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
phoned U.S. President George Bush to oppose the resolution.
Turkish President Adbullah Gul also sent a letter to Mr Bush
threatening that adoption of the resolution will "damage the
Turkish-U.S. relations."