JOHN SARBANES: U.S. RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL ULTIMATELY ENHANCE ITS RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 30, 2010 – 12:49 AMT 07:49 GMT

In Congress, there is significant support for recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, but sponsors of a resolution to do just that have been
thwarted by Turkey’s relentless lobbying campaign, Congressman John
Sarbanes writes in his "Why I support recognition of the Armenian
genocide" piece of opinion published in The Hill.

"Threatening all manner of retaliation should the resolution pass,
Turkey has convinced some members that such action would imperil
Turkish-American relations. The United States should be confident
enough about the mutual stake both parties have in their relationship
to know otherwise. Furthermore, the experience of other nations
suggests there is every reason to believe that America’s recognition
of the Armenian Genocide will ultimately enhance, not damage, its
relations with Turkey. The European Parliament and the legislatures
of more than twenty countries including Canada, France, Italy, and
Russia, have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has
not halted its attempts to join the European Union, and its political
and economic relationship with each of these countries has only grown
since their Genocide recognition," he says.

"By speaking candidly to our ally, we can encourage Turkey to face
the dark chapters of its past and abandon the destructive ventures
of its present, such as the ongoing state-sanctioned discrimination
against the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the continued occupation of the
Republic of Cyprus and the disenfranchisement of the Kurdish minority.

Recognition of the Armenian Genocide can serve as a catalyst in
securing Turkey’s status as a European democracy worthy of full
European Union membership."

The article continues saying, "I have heard the common refrain:
"It’s just not a good time." That excuse – and it is only an excuse –
can always be trotted out based on one or another issue that may be
pending between the United States and Turkey. But that excuse ignores
the moral imperative to recognize the Genocide and misunderstands that
such recognition will actually enhance Turkish-American relations
and advance America’s strategic interests. For the sake of its core
values and in true furtherance of its strategic interests, the United
States must take a deep breath, look its ally Turkey in the eye, and
recognize the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide to be an unambiguous
fact of history."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress