82 CONGRESSMEN SEND LETTER TO OBAMA ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
31.07.2009 02:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 30, under the leadership of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs, Representatives Frank Pallone,
Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with Congressmen Adam Schiff
(D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), a bipartisan group of legislators
(82 Members of Congress) sent a letter to President Barack Obama
highlighting Turkey’s failure to live up to its commitments regarding
normalizing of relations with Armenia without preconditions, reported
the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from Armenian Assembly of America
(AAA), the letter read in part "We write to you [Mr. President]
with our concerns about Turkish backpedaling on the agreed upon
roadmap to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia." Recalling
stated U.S. policy "that normalization should take place without
preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe," the letter pointed
out Armenia’s constructive approach and raised concerns about Turkey’s
counterproductive actions: "While the Government of Armenia remains
committed to this roadmap and has long offered to establish ties
with Turkey without preconditions, Turkey’s public statements and
actions since April 24th stand in sharp contrast to this agreement
and undermine U.S. policy that normalization take place without
preconditions."
Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny commended this bipartisan
initiative stating that "Armenia has repeatedly offered to normalize
relations with Turkey without preconditions only to be rebuffed by
Turkey. We also support the position espoused by the Members that
the Administration should separate the issues of normalization and
Armenian Genocide affirmation. U.S. affirmation of the Genocide should
not be held hostage to normalization of relations."