ANSAmed – Italy
March 4, 2010 Thursday 12:31 PM CET

TURKEY: ARMENIANS; $45 BILLION ULTIMATUM TO WASHINGTON

ANKARA

(ANSAmed) Ankara threatened to cancel defense contracts totaling $45
billion with American companies if today the Foreign Affairs Committee
of the U.S. House of Representatives will pass a critical resolution
for the recognition of Armenian genocide claims. Daily Vatan describes
the Turkish warning as "economic ultimatum" adding that Vatan reports
that the CEOs of five US companies sent a letter to US congressmen to
highlight the hazards of the genocide resolution. They stressed that
the approval of the resolution would jeopardize exports totaling $10
billion.

Vatan says that despite the warnings, the Foreign Affairs Committee
was expected to approve the controversial resolution. Vatan gives
details about the companies campaigning in support of Turkey. Boeing:
THY has ordered 35 passenger planes. In the next 20 years, THY plans
to make deals with Boeing worth $21 billion. Raytheon: The company
holds talks with Turkish officials for the establishment of missile
defense systems to Turkey. The US government has announced that Turkey
could buy equipment worth $7.8 billion. Northrop Grumman: Turkey gives
$11 billion support to the Joint Strike Fighter project. Lockheed
Martin: Turkey has signed $2.9 billion deal for the purchase of 50
F-16 jets. The company also carries out a modernization project in the
Turkish Air Forces worth $635 million. United Technologies: Sikorsky
is one of the most powerful candidates for meeting the needs of the
Turkish army for 109 helicopters. If the company makes a deal with
Ankara, the helicopters will be produced in Turkey.

Vatan says that despite the warnings, the Foreign Affairs Committee
was expected to approve the controversial resolution.

Yesterday, as Vatan reported, Turkish President Abdullah Gul phoned US
President Barack Obama to reiterate Turkish concerns about the
genocide resolution to be discussed today at the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the
daily, Gul asked the US administration to step in and block the
resolution. Gul warned that the approval of the resolution would harm
the normalization process initiated between Turkey and Armenia and
that strategic partnership between Turkey and the US would suffer a
heavy blow.