Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March 4 2010
Turkish president regrets US house committee vote on Armenian resolution
TURKISH PRESIDENT EXPRESSES REGRET OVER APPROVAL OF ARMENIAN RESOLUTION
ANKARA (A.A) -Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed his regret
after the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
approved the resolution on Armenian allegations.
The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs approved
the resolution on incidents of 1915 – which took place shortly before
the fall of the Ottoman Empire – with 23 votes against 22.
Regarding approval of the resolution, Gul said, "this decision is not
reasonable. I strongly condemn it. It does not mean anything for
Turkish people. Turkey will not be responsible for negative outcomes
of this voting."
The resolution was proposed by Democrats Adam Schiff and Frank Pallone
and Republicans George Radanovich and Mark Kirk, all important figures
for the Armenian lobby in the US
Turkey strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the
events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks
and Armenians.
Every year between March 4 and April 24 alarm bells ring for relations
between Turkey and US, two close allies for decades.
The Armenian lobbies in the US pressure the US legislators to pass a
resolution urging the President to recognise the events as genocide.
Turkish legislators and officials pay visits to US House and hold
meetings with senior US officials and businessmen to prevent the
resolution from being adopted.
A similar resolution was adopted with 27 seven votes against 21 in
2007 but as a result of former President George W. Bush’s
intervention, the resolution was not brought to the House floor.