The Irish Times
October 12, 2007 Friday

US genocide claims prompt angry protests in Turkey

Turks took to the streets yesterday in protest at an American
decision to continue with a bill which describes the 90-year-old mass
killings of Armenians as genocide.

Despite intense lobbying by Turkish officials and opposition by US
president George Bush, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the
bill by a 27-21 vote.

Mr Bush had warned that it could harm US-Turkish relations, which are
already tense with Turkey considering a military offensive into Iraq
against Kurdish rebels. The US fears that could destabilise one of
the few relatively peaceful areas in the country.

At the centre of the issue is a claim that up to 1.5 million
Armenians were killed in a systematic genocide between 1915-17,
before modern Turkey was born in 1923.

Turkey says the killings occurred at a time of civil unrest as the
Ottoman Empire was falling apart and that the numbers are inflated.

"Unfortunately, some politicians in the US have once again sacrificed
important matters to petty domestic politics despite all calls to
common sense," Turkey’s President Gul said after the US vote.

Mr Bush had urged Congress to reject the legislation and secretary of
state Condoleezza Rice and defence secretary Robert Gates also
expressed concern.

Passing the measure "at this time would be very problematic for
everything we are trying to do in the Middle East," Ms Rice said
before the vote.

The US embassy in Ankara meanwhile urged Americans to be alert for
possible violence after the vote.

US ambassador Ross Wilson said he regretted the committee’s decision
and said he hoped it would not be passed by the House.