U.S. LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE A NEW BILL TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN CLAIMS

Hurriyet
March 18 2009
Turkey

U.S. lawmakers introduced Tuesday a resolution recognizing the Armenian
claims regarding the 1915 incidents, in a move seen by Turkey as a
risk factor in bilateral relations. (UPDATED)

The resolution, titled "The Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the
Armenian Genocide", has the support of 77 co-sponsors from both
parties in the House of Representatives.

It calls on the president to "ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding" of the "Armenian
Genocide" and to "accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate
annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide," PanArmenian Network
reported in its website.

It was unclear whether the resolution has sufficient support to pass
in the House of Representatives, the Associated Press (AP) reported
late on Tuesday.

Lawmakers almost passed a similar resolution two years ago, but
congressional leaders did not bring it up for a vote after intense
pressure from then-President George W. Bush and top members of his
administration.

Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.

Turkey rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at
least as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians
took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.

Turkey has offered to form a joint commission to investigate what
happened in 1915 and opened up all official archives, but Armenia
has continued to drag its feet on accepting the offer.

OBAMA’S POSITION UNCERTAIN

Turkey earlier warned that such legislation could harm
Turkey-U.S. relations as well as the normalization process between
Ankara and Yerevan.

The legislation comes as bilateral relations are set to enter a busy
period due to the key policy changes that the new administration
plans to make in the Middle East. President Barack Obama is due to
visit Turkey in early April.

It is unclear whether Obama extend his backing to the resolution or
not, AP reported. Obama is unlikely to recognize the claims, recent
media reports suggest, despite pledges made during his presidential
campaigning.

Turkey plays a key role as the new administration prepares to withdraw
its troops from Iraq, to boost troops in Afghanistan and to seek
peace in the Middle East.