The Age, Australia
Oct 13 2007

Turks recall US envoy over genocide claim

Anne Davies
October 13, 2007

TURKEY has announced it is recalling its ambassador to the US in the
wake of a congressional bill branding as "genocide" the 1915 killing
and displacement of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman
Empire.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will also ask his parliament
next week to authorise a military incursion into northern Iraq to
hunt down Kurdish rebel groups – something that the US has been
reluctant to see happen.

The latest diplomatic tensions between the US and one of its closest
allies in the Middle East are now a major issue in Washington, as the
US relies heavily on Turkey to provide bases and routes into Iraq.
The act of recalling an ambassador "for consultations" is a serious,
mid-level diplomatic response, but analysts say there could be more
fallout from the rift.

Potential moves by Turkey – a NATO member – could include blocking US
access to the Incirlik air base, cancelling procurement contracts and
downscaling bilateral visits and joint military exercises, diplomats
say.

The diplomatic fracas began on Wednesday when the Democrat-controlled
US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a
resolution labelling the killings "genocide" – a charge Turkey
denies. The resolution was proposed by a politician with many
Armenian-Americans in his district.

The non-binding resolution now goes to the floor of the House of
Representatives, where Democratic leaders say there will be a vote by
mid-November.

On Wednesday, President George Bush tried unsuccessfully to stop the
congressional committee passing the resolution and on Thursday the
Administration repeated its position that the bill would harm US
efforts in the region by straining ties with Turkey.

"This action is problematic for everything we’re trying to do in the
Middle East and would cause grave harm to our efforts," White House
spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

Any Turkish offensive into neighbouring northern Iraq would seriously
strain ties with Washington.

Washington fears an offensive could destabilise Iraq’s most peaceful
area and potentially the wider region, but Mr Erdogan has been under
mounting pressure to act after Wednesday’s congressional vote, which
has incensed Turks.

There were small anti-US demonstrations in Ankara amid a blizzard of
negative press coverage.

Turkey’s army has frequently called on the Government to give them a
green light to pursue the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) – which is
considered a terrorist group by Washington, Turkey and the European
Union – into Iraq.

Big incursions by Turkey in 1995 and 1997, involving an estimated
35,000 and 50,000 troops respectively, failed to dislodge the rebels
based in the Iraqi mountains.

Before becoming president, Mr Bush made a public pledge to the US
Armenian community to acknowledge their plight.