TURKISH TRADE MINISTER CANCELED TRIP TO US IN RESPONSE TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.03.2010 20:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s trade minister has canceled a trip to the
United States in response to a U.S. House panel vote last week on
Armenian Genocide bill.

Zafer Caglayan was scheduled to depart for the U.S. on March 19
with a large business delegation, the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic
Review has learned. The governmental decision was made Monday during
consultations with the country’s ambassador to Washington, who had
earlier been recalled in a show of protest.

Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said: "As long as the situation does not get any
clearer, we will not send our ambassador back to Washington. America
should not let go of a strategic ally like Turkey over such an issue,"
he said, describing the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs’
decision as "a comedy stunt."

Erdogan blamed the vote on a combination of "unbecoming" voting
procedures in the U.S. Congress and a change of attitude by the
"Jewish lobby" to back the resolution. "The Jewish lobby in the U.S.

supported this resolution," he said.