ANCA: TURKEY REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE SAME VIOLENT ATTITUDES THAT LED TO THE GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.03.2010 20:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
today expressed shock and disappointment at U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State Phil Gordon’s remarks seeking to justify recent threats
by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deport Armenian
citizens from Turkey.
"Prime Minister Erdogan’s menacing threat to deport Armenians
represents the most chilling evidence that Turkey, despite the best
efforts of its Washington allies to whitewash its record, remains
committed and to the same violent attitudes and intentions that led to
the Genocide of 1915," stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
"Sec. Gordon, having already played a central role in enforcing
Turkey’s gag rule within the Administration and recently in Congress,
has now reached a new low, becoming a personal apologist for hateful
and violence-inciting threats by Erdogan. We call upon President
Obama to immediately condemn Secretary Gordon’s comments and affirm
for the record that the U.S. government in no way condones renewed
threats by Turkey against the Armenian people."
Just weeks after the Swedish Parliament and the U.S. House Foreign
Affairs Committee adopted legislation recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan told BBC reporters, that
"There are 170,000 Armenians in my country, of which 70,000 are my
citizens. We’re turning a blind eye to the other 100,000. However,
tomorrow, if it becomes necessary, I would say to those 100,000,
go back to your country. Why? Because they’re not my citizens; I’m
not obliged to keep them in my country."
Despite outrage expressed by Government officials and media around
the world and within Turkey, Assistant Secretary Phillip Gordon tried
to explain away Erdogan’s comments as a mere statement on immigration
policy. "In my opinion, Prime Minister Erdogan only wanted to highlight
that there are 100,000 Armenians living in Turkey illegally.
I don’t believe he threatened to deport them from the country. Those
are separate issues. Every country has an issue with illegal immigrants
and approaches it according to its laws," Gordon remarked.
As Senator and Presidential candidate, President Obama pledged to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, stating "America deserves a leader
who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President." Despite
campaign statements in support of Armenian Genocide legislation, the
Administration attempted and failed to block House Foreign Affairs
committee passage of H.Res.252, adopted by a vote of 23-22 on March
4th. Comments from unnamed Administration officials, reported widely
in U.S. press, that a deal had been struck between the White House
and Congress to shelve the resolution were disavowed by Gordon earlier
this week.
Meanwhile, Congressional support for the Armenian Genocide resolution
continued to grow this week, with House Education Committee Chairman
George Miller (D-CA) and Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA) the latest to add
their names to the 140 cosponsors of the resolution. The Senate
version of the legislation, led by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
and John Ensign (R-NV) currently has 14 cosponsors.
The ANCA is continuing its "End Turkey’s Gag Rule" campaign, urging
elected officials in the U.S. and around the world to reject Turkey’s
attempts to silence international affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.