OVER 80 HOUSE MEMBERS SLAM TURKEY’S REVERSAL ON PROPOSED ‘ROADMAP’

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Augus t 4, 2009

WASHINGTON-On July 30, over 80 House Members expressed concern
about Turkey’s backtracking on a so-called "roadmap" to advance
Armenia-Turkey dialogue, urging President Obama to separate Armenian
Genocide recognition from normalization of ties between the two
countries, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"We commend the leadership of Representatives Pallone, Kirk, Schiff,
Radanovich, and their 78 colleagues in calling attention to Turkey’s
efforts to inject the resolution of the Karabagh conflict as a
precondition to lifting its illegal blockade of Armenia," said ANCA
chairman Ken Hachikian. "U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide
should not be held hostage to a sham ‘roadmap’ designed to prolong
U.S. complicity in the denial of that crime against humanity."

In a July 29 letter to President Obama, initiated by Congressional
Armenian Caucus co-chairs Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk
(R-Ill.) as well as Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsors Adam
Schiff (D-Calif.) and George Radanovich (R-Calif.), Members of Congress
questioned Turkey’s commitment to talks normalizing relations with
Armenia, as stated in a "roadmap" agreement signed just two days
prior to April 24, 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."

The letter comes just days following a statement by Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu once again citing the resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict as a precondition to Armenia-Turkey
normalization efforts. In recent weeks, Western diplomats have stated
that dialogue between Armenia and Turkey is virtually frozen.

Below is the full text of the letter to President Obama.

*** July 30, 2009 President Barack Obama The White House 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write to you with our concerns about Turkish backpedaling on the
agreed upon roadmap to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia.

On April 22, 2009, just two days before the 94th commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide, the Department of State released the following
statement:

The United States welcomes the statement made by Armenia and Turkey
on normalization of their bilateral relations. It has long been
and remains the position of the United States that normalization
should take place without preconditions and within a reasonable
timeframe. We urge Armenia and Turkey to proceed according to the
agreed framework and roadmap. We look forward to working with both
governments in support of normalization, and thus promote peace,
security, and stability in the whole region.

Two days later, instead of recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the
administration opted to focus on this new roadmap to Armenian-Turkish
normalization. "I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and
Armenia to normalize their bilateral relations," you wrote. "Under
Swiss auspices, the two governments have agreed on a framework and
roadmap for normalization. I commend this progress, and urge them to
fulfill its promise."

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.

On May 13, 2009, Prime Minister Erdogan publically conditioned
normalization of relations with Yerevan on Azerbaijan’s approval
of a future settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict that fully
meets Baku’s satisfaction. "I want to repeat once more that until the
occupation ends, the border gates [with Armenia] will remain closed,"
Erdogan told the Azeri parliament.

On June 17, 2009, EU South Caucasus envoy Peter Semneby said Turkey
had taken "tactical steps backwards" in the normalization process
with Armenia.

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. 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.