`Turkish Ambassadors in Washington Don’t Have Much Luck’: Giro Manoyan

16:02 – 05.03.10

`Turkish ambassadors in Washington don’t have much luck,’ said head of
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun, ARF-D) Bureau’s
Armenian Cause (`Hay Dat’) and Political Affairs Office Giro Manoyan
at a press conference today, referring to recent reports that Turkey
had recalled its ambassador from Washington.

According to Manoyan, Turkey is particularly worried after the US
Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted Armenian Genocide
Resolution, and it’s possible that Turkey will raise issues relating
to Turkey-US relations with the US, but it will not ratify the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

Manoyan noted that there are no guarantees that House Resolution 252
won’t undergo the same fate previous draft bills had; that is, being
approved in a congressional committee only to not make it to a full
house vote. But in the ARF-D member’s opinion, much hinges on Turkey’s
attitude toward the US and its counter-reaction. Manoyan said that the
resolution doesn’t have any legal weight; its value is entirely
political.

Asked whether the passing of this resolution will have an effect on
Obama’s April 24 address, and whether he will perhaps utter the word
Genocide, Manoyan found it difficult to respond, noting that, however,
the reason for not saying the word Genocide last year wasn’t the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols, and if he doesn’t use the word Genocide
again this year, it wont’ be because of the Protocols: `Those are just
a pretense,’ he said.

What should Armenia do so that there are more yes votes than no votes
on the Armenian Genocide Resolution at the full US Congress? asked one
journalist. To which Manoyan responded that there was much work to be
done; for example, even today, the National Assembly Chair can send a
letter to the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Tert.am