EMBASSY ROW: TURKEY SATISFIED
by By James Morrison

Washington Times
April 6 2010

The Turkish ambassador is returning to Washington this week, a month
after he was recalled to protest a congressional resolution on the
Armenian "genocide," and the prime minister is planning to attend a
White House summit on nuclear security next week.

Both moves are seen as signs of improvement in U.S.-Turkish relations,
as the battle on the domestic front over the House resolution falls
to Turkish- and Armenian-Americans.

"I will be going to the United States," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan told reporters in Ankara on Friday, as he announced his
decision to send Ambassador Namik Tan back to Washington.

Mr. Erdogan recalled the ambassador after the House Foreign Affairs
Committee approved the "Armenian Genocide Resolution" on a 23-22 vote
March 4. The prime minister warned of serious damage to U.S.-Turkish
relations if the full House endorsed the nonbinding resolution. He also
said he would not allow the ambassador to return until he was satisfied
that the measure will not come up for a floor vote in the House.

The resolution recognizes the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians
during World War I as genocide and blames the old Ottoman Turkish
Empire for trying to wipe out the Armenian people. Turkey argues that
the resolution taints the modern Turkish republic with the actions
of the Ottoman regime and insists that the killings were the result
of civil war, not genocide.

In announcing his decision to send Mr. Tan back to Washington, the
prime minister hinted that he might bring up the Armenian resolution
in private talks with President Obama during the nuclear security
summit on April 12-13.

"The nuclear issue is not the only topic on the agenda," he said.

"There are many other issues to discuss. … We will make use of
this opportunity."

The struggle over the resolution on the domestic front is being waged
among organizations like the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations.

Mr. Obama angered Armenian-Americans last year when he avoided using
the word and broke a campaign promise to them. Many retaliated by
voting for Republican Scott Brown in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate
race, even though his Democratic opponent had called for U.S.

recognition of the Armenian genocide. Mr. Obama is now openly opposing
the House resolution.

ANCA has started a letter-writing campaign to Mr. Obama, expressing
"moral outrage" over his position.

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