The Van Der Galiën Gazette, Netherlands
Oct 13 2007
The Armenian Genocide Resolution and Iraq
McQ wrote an interesting post for QandO in which he links to this
article at MEMRI. According to the MEMRI blog, Turkey has sent a
delegation of MPs from the three leading parties – the AK Parti, the
CHP and the MHP – to the US in order to prevent the US House from
accepting the now infamous resolution.
The mandate from the delegation, Hürriyet columnist Fatih Cerkige,
`is stronger as it comes not only from the government but from the
parliament – that is from the Turkish people – and the AKP MP Egemen
Bagis, who heads the delegation, signaled that the warning they will
deliver to the U.S. will also be very strong.’
If the US goes on and condemns Turkey for committing a genocide
against the Christian Armenians between 1914 and 1923, Turkey will
reportedly `tell the U.S. that it might cut or restrict the
logistical support that Turkey provides the U.S. military in Iraq
through Incirlik airbase – also affecting the future withdrawal of
U.S. from Iraq, via Turkey.’ This means that the US effort in Iraq
would suffer tremendously.
Furthermore, as argued at this blog before as well, Turkey may very
well invade northern Iraq potentially causing, as McQ rightfully
points out, a clash between the Turkish army on the one side, and the
American and Iraqi armies on the other.
O, and that Turkish army is a Nato ally.
McQ concludes: `This is a deliberate attempt to alienate an ally in
the hope of hurting the effort in Iraq.’ Susan Daclos agrees: there’s
little doubt in Susan’s mind that the reason the Democratic
leadership is suddenly pushing this resolution is because they
understand that doing so will hurt the US effort in Iraq.
As for me, I think there are two reasons: one, certain Congressmen
need the support of Armenian-Americans. What was it? 90,000
Armenian-Americans in the main sponsor’s district? Nancy Pelosi,
meanwhile, counts quite some Armenian-Americans in her district as
well. And then two; it may indeed also be meant to hurt what the US
is doing in Iraq.
There are simply no other reasonable explanations for this travesty.
Meanwhile, I still can’t stop laughing about the `moral authority’
justification.
Susan also links to this column in the LA Times written by former
co-sponsor of resolution HR 106 Jane Harman. She writes that she
`originally co-sponsored the resolution because I was convinced that
the terrible crime against the Armenian people should be recognized
and condemned.’ But, she goes on to write, `after a visit in February
to Turkey, where I met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the
Armenian Orthodox patriarch and colleagues of murdered Turkish
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, I became convinced that passing this
resolution again at this time would isolate and embarrass a
courageous and moderate Islamic government in perhaps the most
volatile region in the world.’
It’s interesting how American politicians sponsor a bill about
countries and a time they don’t know anything about in the first
place, but its better to correct one’s error when one notices that
one has made one, than to ignore the obvious and pretend that
everything is a-okay I suppose.
Hartman looked at the situation in the Middle and Near East and
realized that the US can’t afford to lose Turkey’s support. It is
therefore that she decided to withdraw her support for the
resolution. This resulted in her receiving angry letters and e-mails,
accusing her of denying genocide, etc.
She also points out that the timing isn’t just bad because of the
situation in Iraq and because of Turkey’s important role in the world
as the moderate Islamic power, but also because Turkey and Armenia
were just in the process of talking to each other. The relationship
between the two countries has improved recently. `About 70,000
Armenians live in Turkey, and Turkey continues to admit more,’ Harman
writes. `Further,’ she goes on to summarize, `Turkey and Armenia have
held recent talks about normalizing relations. They share mutual
interests in trade, especially in the energy sector. Now is a good
time to engage.’ Engagement will obviously be made a bit more
difficult if the US House of Representatives votes in favor of
resolution HR 106.
Photo: Members of the left-wing Workers’ Party protest against the
U.S. and its passing of a bill describing World War I-era killings of
Armenians as genocide, Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007.
Murat Sezer / AP. Thanks to TIME.
rmenian-genocide-resolution-and-iraq/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress