GENOCIDE RESOLUTION WOULD UNDO TURKISH, ARMENIAN ACCORD

Boston Globe
opinion/letters/articles/2010/02/24/genocide_resol ution_would_undo_turkish_armenian_accord/
Feb 24 2010
MA

DAVID PHILLIPS mistakenly characterizes Turkish-Armenian rapprochement
as on the brink of collapse in his Feb. 11 op-ed. Rather, full
adoption of the Turkish-Armenian protocols depends largely on
preventing the ultranationalist Armenian diaspora from sabotaging
them. The Armenian-American lobby is trying to do this in part by
urging a congressional genocide resolution.

The latest iteration of this resolution, like its failed predecessors,
will naturally stir up ethnic antipathy and threaten US interests and
credibility in the region. This resolution also threatens to derail
the bold steps taken by Turkish and Armenian leaders to reorient
themselves toward peace and mutual understanding.

The resolution threatens to contravene long-standing US policy to
avoid such legislative enactments, and could violate our solemn treaty
commitment to accept the International Court of Justice as the sole
jurisdiction to hear genocide allegations.

Moreover, the measure threatens to offend members of the Turkish and
Muslim world by incriminating them in a political body strong-armed
by the Armenian-American lobby, rather than giving Turkey and its
people a fair day in court.

The joint historical commission defined by the protocols is
appropriately charged with a broad mandate to discover facts that will
lead to reconciliation based on truth. The goal is to depoliticize
what is really a question for historians. Passing the current House
resolution would torpedo this objective.

Gunay Evinch, President Assembly of Turkish American Associations
Washington