Khaleej Times , UAE
March 7 2010

An Undesired Resolution

7 March 2010 The politics of exigency is at work at Capitol Hill. In
what seems to be a mindless and getting-carried-away exercise by US
legislators, Turkish-US relations have come to founder on the rock.
Ankara has reacted angrily to a Congressional panel’s resolution
describing as genocide the killings of Armenians in World War I.

It has also recalled its envoy from Washington in protest, and warned
that a simmer campaign against it would be detrimental to bilateral
relations. President Barack Obama’s election campaign promise to brand
the mass killing of Armenians as genocide has been at the root of the
ongoing discord. This move has unnecessarily dented the growing trust
between both the countries and, to a great extent, almost derailed
Turkey’s evolving thaw with Armenia.

Though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had urged the House
committee not to vote on the resolution, it seems to be a belated
damage control move. Turkish President Abdullah Gul has correctly
stated that there is no point in penalising his country for a crime it
didn’t commit. He said that it is indeed an injustice to history to
take such a decision with political concerns in mind. Hundreds of
thousands of Armenians were massacred during the First World War as
they were deported en masse from eastern Anatolia by the then Ottoman
Empire. Sowing the seeds of consolation and ensuring reconciliation
between the Turks and the Armenians can only undo that tragic part of
history. In fact, both the countries were on one such path as they had
inked peace accords last October. This extra-foreign policy influence
from US legislators has come as a spanner in the works, destabilising
peace and cooperation prospects in the long run.

If at all the US Congress is interested in being judgmental on
history, there is no dearth of issues. The genocide in the heart of
Europe during the Balkan wars, massacres in the African continent and,
last but not the least, the systematic killings and mayhem in occupied
territories at the hands of Israel can make a fair beginning of
current history. There is no point in playing to the gallery with
issues that serve political objectives of a select gathering, and that
too with insidious consequences. The West, for long, has treated
Turkey with bias and discrimination, as it still waits for a full
membership of the European Union. Its democratic and secular
credentials have always been overlooked for unknown reasons. Despite
being the lone Muslim country, which is also part of NATO, the wisdom
of alienating such an ally is questionable. This Armenian discord is a
purely bilateral issue between Ankara and Yerevan; let them handle it.
Washington will do well to supplement the efforts of both the
countries in reconciling with their bitter past and cementing a
happier future for the region. It’s time for White House to intervene
with the multipurpose of not only saving US-Turkish relations from
deteriorating, but also ensuring that Ankara goes ahead with the
ratification of peace accords with Armenia. Rather than annoying
Turkey, ¨the US can make use of its potential to address the region’s
treacherous problems.