Agence France Presse
March 4, 2010 Thursday 10:33 PM GMT

Turkey recalls envoy after US vote on Armenian ‘genocide’

ankara, March 4 2010

Turkey recalled its ambassador from the United States and sent a harsh
warning that ties will suffer after a US House panel adopted a
resolution Thursday branding the killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks as "genocide."

"We condemn this resolution which accuses the Turkish nation of a
crime it has not committed," a government statement said.

"Following this development, our ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan,
was recalled to Ankara for consultations," it added.

Overriding pressure from the White House and Turkey, a long-time NATO
ally, the Foreign Affairs Committee narrowly approved the text,
opening the door for a vote at the full House of Representatives.

President Abdullah Gul slammed the resolution as having "no value in
the eyes of the Turkish people" and warned that it would deal a blow
on fledgling efforts to end decades of hostility between Turkey and
Armenia.

"Turkey will not be responsible for the negative ramifications that
this vote may have in every field," he stressed.

The outcome of the vote demonstrated "a lack of strategic vision"
among US lawmakers at a time when Turkey and the United States "are
working together on a broad common agenda," the government’s statement
said.

"We are seriously concerned that this bill… will harm Turkish-US
relations and impede efforts aimed at normalising Turkish-Armenian
ties," it added.

Turkey is a prominent Muslim partner of Washington in efforts to
stabilise Afghanistan and Iraq. It is also a key route in major
projects to carry oil and natural gas to Western markets.

The non-binding resolution calls on President Barak Obama to ensure
that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the "genocide" and
to label the World War I killings as such in his annual statement on
the issue.

Ankara also recalled its envoy from Washington in 2007 when the
committee passed a similar text.

But then-president George W. Bush stopped the resolution from going to
the full House, wary over reports that Ankara would block US access to
a key air base essential for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

Ankara renewed its position that the massacres of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of modern Turkey, should be studied by
historians on the basis of documents and archives, and not judged by
politicians.

"The interventions of politicians in the realm of historians has
always produced negative effects," it said.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed during World
War I by their Ottoman rulers as the empire was falling apart, a claim
supported by several other countries.

Turkey argues 300,000-500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks
died in what was a civil strife when Armenians rose up for
independence and sided with invading Russian troops.

Following US-backed bridge-building talks, Turkey and Armenia signed a
deal in October to establish diplomatic relations and open their
border.

But the process has already hit the rocks, with Ankara accusing
Yerevan of trying to tweak the terms of the deal and Yerevan charging
that Ankara is not committed to ratifying the accord.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress