TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA TAKES ON SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ OVER "ETHNIC POLITICS"
by Guler Kokner
NJ.com
009/01/turkish_coalition_of_america_t.html
Jan 28 2009
NJ
While America is currently engaged in two wars, faces the continued
threat of international terrorism and the possible advent of
nuclear-armed rogue nations, and struggles with an economic crisis
of historical proportions, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) chose to use
his valuable time at the confirmation hearing of newly confirmed
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to pander to the Armenian
and Greek lobbies.
While the world was watching, Sen. Menendez asked Sen. Clinton to
make it a priority to recognize as "genocide" nearly a century-old
events that took place in a foreign state which no longer exists. He
theorized that the United States must pay heed to "history that is
universally recognized so that we can move forward in that respect."
A history lesson to address the deeds of a defunct empire, apparently
in the Senator’s eyes, should be a priority for the new U.S. Secretary
of State to address in confirmation hearings. Never mind that what
Senator Menendez calls "universally recognized" history, is still
strongly debated among scores of scholars and that many historians
of international renown contest the genocide label.
If this issue was indeed universally settled, Great Britain, a country
which was a party to the conflict at hand, would not have repeatedly
refused to use the term genocide to describe the tragic events. If
defining whether a crime constituted genocide was to be entrusted to
politicians, the international community would not have bestowed the
authority to investigate, prosecute and punish such crimes to the
International Court of Justice.
The senator also stated that the tiny island of Cyprus should be
high on the priority list of the Secretary of State. Voicing support
for the "bi-zonal, bi-communal federation" solution on the island,
Sen. Menendez seemed to be ignorant of the fact that this was precisely
what 65 percent of Turkish Cypriots supported in a referendum in 2004,
and which 75 percent of Greek Cypriots rejected. Based on his obvious
concern for the well being of ALL Cypriots, we hope that Sen. Menendez
will now take the lead in a congressional effort to lift the inhumane
international blockade on the Turkish Cypriots and provide an incentive
for the solution he so desires.
The fact of the matter is that at the dawn of a new
U.S. administration, awaited with great anticipation to be the
government of change around the world and at home, it was politics
as usual for Sen. Menendez. As the world was watching, he faithfully
continued to cater to ethnic politics at home. Rather than questioning
the Secretary of State on the countless foreign policy challenges
America faces around the world, he sought her commitment to take
sides in a historical dispute, while making a half-hearted attempt
to appease the Greek American community.
The people of New Jersey, including over 30,000 Turkish Americans,
deserve better leadership.
Guler Kokner is vice president of the Turkish Coalition of America
in Washington, D.C.