Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:34:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: ANKARA: Erdogan’s Own Plead Post-Davos Ammends
ERDOGAN’S OWN PLEAD POST-DAVOS AMMENDS
Hurriyet
Feb 13 2009
Turkey
ANKARA – The U.S.-Jewish lobby may back Armenian efforts to have the
1915 incidents recognized as "genocide" as a result of the public
confrontation between the Turkish prime minister and Israeli president
in Davos, lawmakers have warned the government in a report.
"Turkey must eliminate the Jewish community’s concerns at once,"
said the report prepared by the deputies, obtained by the Hurriyet
Daily News & Economic Review.
The Ruling Justice and Development Party’s, or AKP’s, Cuneyt Yuksel
and Suat Kınıklıoglu, and the Nationalist Movement Party’s, or MHP,
Mithat Melen, were in the United States between Jan. 29 and Feb. 6
to lobby against any genocide resolutions.
Following their talks with U.S. officials, as well as a roundtable
meeting with representatives from 10 Jewish organizations, the AKP
deputies drafted a report emphasizing the "Jewish lobby-Armenian
alliance" and submitted it to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The report included a host of other topics relating to Turkey,
ranging from Turkish-Armenian relations to the Israeli offensive
in Gaza and the Davos summit, as well as Turkey’s bid to join the
European Union, and further reaching topics such as terrorism and
international security.
The deputies warned that the heated panel debate with Israeli President
Shimon Peres in Davos, which ended when Erdogan walked off stage
after being interrupted by the moderator, drew the Jewish lobby in
the United States closer to Armenian lobby groups.
At the meeting in Washington, Jewish organizations raised concerns over
rising anti-Semitism in Turkey, the damage to Turkey’s mediator role in
the region and the situation of Turkish Jews connected to the strong
condemnation by Turkish leaders of the Israeli operation in Gaza. In
defense, the Turkish lawmakers clearly expressed that anti-Semitism was
a crime against humanity and that the Jewish citizens were under state
protection just like each and every citizen of Turkey, read the report.
The deputies highlighted a campaign prepared to be launched by four
congressmen in the U.S. House of Representative in support of the
Armenian thesis and warned, "Armenians believe an opportunity to pass
the draft resolution has emerged after Davos."
Lobby in Washington, report urges deputies The report called for
lobbying activities and encouraged deputies to visit Washington
more frequently.
Referring to the new process in Turkish-Armenian ties, the report
said a solid stage reached after efforts for normalization of ties
with Yerevan would be the most important advantage for Turkey, urging
the government to make public its will to improve neighborly relations.
"It must clearly be expressed that the passage of the genocide
resolution will be an untimely act not only for Turkey but also in
terms of positive developments in Turkish-Armenian ties," it read. The
report also suggested that the government meet with American Jewish
organizations to demonstrate it takes their concerns into account.
The deputies also drew attention to the beginning of a new process in
Turkish-U.S. relations with new President Barack Obama taking office
in Washington, stressing Obama’s vision, especially toward the Middle
East, overlapped with Turkish interests.
The deputies also noted they had invited Obama to a meeting of the
Alliance of Civilizations set for Istanbul on April 6-7.