Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March 5 2010

Turkish president criticizes US vote on Armenian resolution

Istanbul, 5 March: Turkish President Abdullah Gul said about approval
of the resolution on Armenian allegations by the US House of
Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, "no one can force Turkey
to accept anything with threats and pressure."

President Gul told reporters, "this decision does not have any value
in the eyes of the Turkish people. How do politicians in such a big
country like the USA use their votes? We are face to face with
politicians who can cast their votes against an allied country in
order to get a few votes from the diaspora in their region. If you ask
them, they cannot talk about the issue for three minutes. When did it
happen, where did it take place, how did it happen? The most worrying
aspect of this is that these are the politicians of a country which
shapes the world policy. No one can force Turkey to accept anything
with threats and pressure. This decision is nothing but an attempt to
hamper Turkey’s initiates to ensure peace and stability in the region
and to create a zone of cooperation in the Caucasus."

The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs approved
the resolution on Armenian allegations on Thursday. The committee
approved the resolution on incidents of 1915 with 23 votes against 22.