LAWMAKERS ADDRESS TURKISH BACKPEDALING

AZG Armenian Daily
01/08/2009

International

82 Members of Congress Send Letter to President Obama

Earlier 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 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).

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
Genocide affirmation. U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide should
not be held hostage to normalization of relations."

Assembly activists from across the country, as well as the 2009
Terjenian-Thomas interns, were a driving force behind the letter
success by making calls and garnering support.