CONGRESSIONAL CONCERN MOUNTS OVER TURKEY’S REVERSAL ON PROPOSED "ROADMAP"

Asbarez Staff
Jul 21st, 2009

Support Grows for Congressional Letter Urging "Administration to
separate issues of normalization and genocide recognition"

WASHINGTON, DC – House Members concerned about Turkey’s backtracking
on a so-called "roadmap" to advance Armenia-Turkey dialogue are set
to urge President Obama to separate Armenian Genocide recognition
from normalization of ties between the two countries, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.)

In a letter to President Obama, initiated by Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) as well
as Armenian Genocide resolution lead sponsors Adam Schiff (D-CA)
and George Radanovich (R-CA), Members of Congress question Turkey’s
commitment to talks normalizing relations with Armenia, as stated in
a "roadmap" agreement signed just two days prior to April 24th, the
international day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey
has since added preconditions to continued discussions, which have
led most observers of the process to conclude the effort to be stalled
indefinitely.

"It would appear that Turkey, in an effort to block U.S. recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, agreed to a roadmap it did not intend to
uphold," notes the letter to the President. "Therefore, we urge your

Administration to separate the issues of normalization and genocide
recognition. We hope that renewed efforts and focused resources from
the Administration can be utilized to nurture the Armenia-Turkey
normalization process without preconditions and within a reasonable
timeframe, and continue to remain strongly supportive of your stated
campaign policy to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide."

Armenian Americans have been contacting their legislators to cosign
the Congressional letter, set to be sent to the President on July 24th.