March 22 2009
Were the 1915 deaths of Armenians genocide?
Saturday March 21, 2009
This is the question that’s heating up again in the U.S. Congress at a
sensitive juncture: a new president, the new president’s upcoming
April 6-7 trip to Turkey to attend a forum on relations between the
West and the Muslim world, and angering Turkey as they stand to play a
mediator role in Obama’s attempt to reach out to Iran. There’s a new
resolution in the House that would call as many as 1.5 million
Armenian deaths at the hands of the Ottoman Empire starting in 1915
"genocide." Turkey blames the deaths on civil upheaval toward the end
and directly after World War I, saying that 300,000 Armenians were
killed and at least as many Turks. Obama had promised on the campaign
trail to call the deaths genocide, but few are expecting him to use
the terminology now with the Turkey visit and relations with Turkey at
stake.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan responded to the legislation’s
introduction in a TV interview Wednesday. From Hurriyet Daily News:
"Babacan said the Armenian lobby had an influence on the
U.S. Congress, which is dominated by Democrats, but emphasized that
unlike in the past, negotiations between Turkey and Armenia were under
way to normalize ties.
‘The complete normalization of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey ties
will create a brand-new geopolitical situation in the southern
Caucasus. A decision or a statement to be made by a third country [on
the 1915 killings] will cause harm,’ he said. ‘While we are looking
into the future from a broader perspective, we believe that any
interference by a third country is very wrong. We hope that an
irrational step will not be taken. We are openly speaking with our
American friends. We hope no wrong steps will be taken.’"
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