Trend, Azerbaijan
March 5 2010

Turkish Armenians oppose adoption of resolution on so-called Armenian genocide
05.03.2010 15:04

Turkish Armenians are protesting the adoption of a resolution
recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide by the U.S. House of
Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, CNN Turk reported.

Zadik Toker, head of the Armenian Church of the Turkish province of
Kastamonu, opposed this decision.

Turkish Armenians staged a protest against the decision of the
committee in the Turkish cities of Kayseri and Kastamonu.

U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted Thursday a resolution
recognizing the so-called genocide with 23 votes to 22.

Armenia claims that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against
Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Making greater efforts to
promote the issue internationally, Armenians have achieved its
recognition by parliaments of some countries.

The Turkish government has expressed dissatisfaction with the decision
of the U.S. Congress committee and said that it was a blow to
Turkish-American relations.

The intervention of a third party, in this case the United States, in
the relations between Armenia and Turkey complicates the process of
reconciliation between the countries, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said.

The adoption of a resolution recognizing the genocide indicates that
the U.S. Congress is very weak in developing a future political
strategy, the Turkish minister said.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed his regret after the U.S.
House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs approved the
resolution on the genocide.

Regarding approval of the resolution, Gul said that "this decision is
not reasonable. I strongly condemn it. It does not mean anything for
Turkish people. Turkey will not be responsible for the negative
outcomes of this voting."

A similar resolution was adopted in 2007 but as a result of former
President George W. Bush’s intervention, the resolution was not
brought for further discussion, Anadolu reported.