U.S. CONGRESSMEN CONCERNED ABOUT TURKISH BACKPEDALING REGULATING TIES WITH ARMENIA
Panorama.am
16:32 31/07/2009
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."