TURKEY SENDING TOP OFFICIAL TO WASHINGTON ON EVE OF MARCH 4TH GENOCIDE VOTE

2010/02/12 | 10:04

Region

Turkey is sending a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official to
Washington DC to discuss bumps in the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation
process. Feridun Sinirlioglu, the Undersecretary of the Foreign
Ministry, will visit the U.S. on February 13.

This latest diplomatic move by Turkey comes on the eve of a March 4
non-binding resolution vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee
urging President Barack Obama to describe the events of 1915 as
"genocide". Mr.Sinirlioglu is expected to tell the U.S. official
that the vote will further damage the Turkey-Armenia reconciliation
process that has already hit the rocks due to the recent decision of
the Armenia’s constitutional court.

Mr. Sinirlioglu is expected to seek assurances from the U.S.

administration that the Armenian court’s ruling will not legally
prevent the discussion of Armenian genocide "claims".

Turkey believes the pending resolution is aimed at putting pressure
on the government to pass the protocols through Parliament. In an
interview over the weekend, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denounced
the committee for scheduling a vote on an Armenian genocide resolution
at this time, saying that its passage would seriously harm Turkey’s
relations with both the United States and Armenia.