Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March 3 2010
Turkish minister hopes US Congress not to adopt Armenian resolution
Cairo, 3 March: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that
Turkey hoped the resolution on Armenian allegations related to the
incidents of 1915 would not be adopted at the US House of
Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs during 4 March voting.
The US committee will vote the resolution recognizing the events of
1915 as "genocide" on 4 March 2010.
Speaking to reporters in Cairo on Wednesday [3 March], Davutoglu said
that if the resolution was adopted at the committee, then the US
administration should exert efforts against a voting at US Congress.
Davutoglu said that making such a decision which would disturb a
country – that made great contributions to world and regional peace –
was irrational and illogical. He expressed hope that committee members
would not make such a mistake.
He noted that the US administration knew Turkey’s stance about the
issue very well.
Noting that the congress members, who would vote the resolution,
should make a decision by firstly considering the US-Turkey and
Turkey-Armenia relations, Davutoglu said that voting with political
reasons would harm not only Turkey but also those relations.
Regarding normalization process in Turkey-Armenia relations, Davutoglu
said that the two countries were now in the most comprehensive
cooperation process ever, adding that there were multi dimensional
relations in many platforms.
Noting that Turkey-Armenia relations had been on the best level in the
past one year, Davutoglu said that the two countries signed protocols.
Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on 10 October 2009 to
normalize relations between the two countries. The protocols envisage
the two countries to establish diplomatic ties and open the border
that has been close since 1993. Turkey and Armenia also agreed to take
steps to operate a sub-commission on impartial scientific examination
of the historical records and archive to define existing problems and
formulate recommendations, in which Armenian, Turkish, as well as
Swiss and other international experts would take part. However, on 12
January 2010, the Constitutional Court of Armenia declared a decision
of constitutional conformity on the protocols. Turkey thought the
fifth article of Armenian Constitutional Court’s verdict regarding the
protocols was against the target and basis of the protocols.
Also, in 2005, Turkey officially proposed to Armenian government the
establishment of a joint commission of history composed of historians
and other experts from both sides to study together the events of 1915
not only in the archives of Turkey and Armenia but also in the
archives of all relevant third countries and to share their findings
with the public.
Foreign Minister Davutoglu is currently in Cairo to hold talks.
Earlier in the day, he made a speech at a meeting of foreign ministers
of the Arab League and met with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
He also held meetings with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
Hamad Bin-Jasim Bin-Jabr Al Thani and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
Mu’allim.