ARMENIANS CONTINUE TO ANTAGONIZE TURKEY, PM HEADING FOR WASHINGTON
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 15 2007
Armenians are encouraging the U.S. lawmakers to continue to push
ahead and approve a resolution on genocide as their prime minister
heads for Washington on Wednesday for talks with U.S. officials.
The visit comes a week after a congressional committee ruined relations
with Turkey by approving a resolution labeling as genocide the World
War I-era killings of Armenians by Turks.
The timing of Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian’s visit is bound could
cause more resentment in Turkey. Ankara has lambasted Armenia for
encouraging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the resolution.
Diplomatic sources claimed Sarkisian is expected to discuss economic
cooperation and security issues in two days of talks with senior
officials including Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Sarkisian plans to be in California Oct. 19-23 for meetings with
Armenian-American groups. California is the bastion of the rich
Armenian lobby that worked hard to convince the U.S. congressional
panel to approve the resolution.
The trip comes at a time that relations between Washington and Ankara
have reached a new low, as Turkey is making a series of gestures to
display its protest of the congressional move.
A day after Wednesday’s vote in Washington, lawmakers in Armenia’s
parliament greeted the committee’s approval of the resolution with
a standing ovation.
"We express our gratitude to our colleagues in Congress who
demonstrated great moral qualities and, not giving into different
pressures, voted for the resolution," said Tigran Torosian, chairman
of the National Assembly.
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian urged the United States to go even
further. Speaking in Belgium Thursday, he urged "a full recognition
by the United States of America of the fact of the Armenian genocide."
President George W. Bush has continued the policy of previous
presidents that recognizes the events almost a century ago but refrains
from describing them as an orchestrated genocide.
The Armenians are telling the U.S. congressmen that Turkey’s fury
will be short lived and that they should not bring the resolution to
a vote in the full House of Representatives without any delay.
Rep. Adam Schiff, whose district around the city of Los Angeles
includes a large Armenian American community, was the leading lawmaker
who pushed for the resolution after heavy lobbying by constituents.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who also represents many Armenian
Americans, seems determined to bring the non-binding resolution to
a vote in the full House probably next month. It is unclear if and
when the Senate will follow suit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress