TURKEY DEFEATING CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 961

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009 00:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ National and grassroots Turkish American associations
joined power to defeat California Assembly Bill 961, a proposed law
that sought to punish companies who did business in the Ottoman Empire
or do business in Turkey today. The bill was introduced by Armenian
Assemblyman Paul Krikorian and supported by nationalists Armenian
groups, TurkishNY reports.

On the front line were activists from ATAA component organizations,
the Turkish American Association of California (TAACA) and the
Association of Turkish Americans of S. California (ATASC). Ergun
Kirlikovali and Karahan Mete lead over 25 local Turkish Americans
to provide statements at the public hearings of the Business and
Professions and Judiciary Committees.

ATAA President Nurten Ural submitted a statement to the California
Assembly that A.B. 961 was an unconstitutional creation of foreign
policy and an unconstitutional interference against the private
sector. President Nurten stated: "A.B. 961 is nothing more than
Armenian ethnic politics to legislate Turkish history and a genocide
conviction against Turkey, and to vent that condemnation by punishing
companies, including but not limited to energy (e.g., BP, Shell,
Exxon), insurance (e.g., New York Life, AXA), and other sectors
(e.g., Nestle), who did business with the Ottoman Empire nearly one
hundred years ago and to prohibit them from doing business with the
State of California. A.B. 961 contravenes good history, good law,
and good social responsibility in business. A.B. 961 contradicts
federal foreign affairs efforts to support truth and reconciliation
between Turkey and Armenia."