Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Oct 19 2007
Turkish businessmen ask US Congress not to adopt Armenian bill
Washington, DC, 19 October: The Association of Turkish Industrialists
and Businessmen (Tusiad) sent a letter to US congressmen and
requested that an Armenian bill in the House of Representatives be
not adopted.
In its letter, Tusiad expressed deep sadness over the adoption of an
Armenian bill by the US House of Representatives foreign relations
committee.
According to Tusiad’s letter, the Armenian bill may develop results
of no return in the Middle East and Caucasus, and Turkish business
community cannot understand why a parliament would want to re-write
Ottoman history as in the United States.
In its letter, Tusiad said it is unfortunate that the Armenian bill
came up at a time when the US administration is not willing to
support Turkey’s fight against terrorist PKK [Kurdistan Workers’
Party] organization.
Tusiad’s letter said the adoption of the Armenian bill by the US
House of Representatives would cause the following:
– Initiatives which aim to normalize relations between Turkey and
Armenia would be hurt.
– Efforts, such as Turkey’s proposal to establish an international
committee to study the incidents of 1915, will be damaged.
– Forces against Turkey’s Western orientation will gain strength.
– Characteristics, such as mutual understanding, democracy and open
society, that are so important following 11 September, will get
damaged.
– Search for alternative partnerships will be justified.
"We invite the American people, congressmen and the US administration
to help block the arrival of the Armenian bill to the general
assembly of the US House of Representatives. We also invite the said
parties to support with more determination Turkey’s fight against
terrorist PKK organization," Tusiad said in its letter.
Meanwhile, the US secretary of defence, Robert Gates, said the USA
would pay a very high price if the Armenian bill gets adopted by the
US House of Representatives.
"Turkey is not bluffing. Turks think they would have to pay
compensation and give up land if the Armenian bill gets adopted,"
told Gates.
Gates also said a cross-border operation into north of Iraq by the
Turkish armed forces would lead to an international crisis.