BRYZA OPPOSED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HOUSE RESOLUTION – WIKILEAKS
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 26, 2011 – 10:14 AMT
On Mar. 15, 2007, a classified cable was sent from the U.S. Embassy
in Turkey to the U.S. Department of State, which was published May
24 on the whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks, Asbarez reported.
This particular cable refers to a meeting on Mar. 9, 2007, between
then U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza and Istanbul
Deputy Governor for minority affairs Fikret Kasapoglu, in which the
parties discuss the Armenian Genocide Resolution (referred to as AGR
in the cable) being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives and
the Senate.
“Bryza stressed that the Administration is working hard to convince
Congress not to pass AGRs currently being contemplated in both
the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The Administration’s
position remains that a candid discussion about Turkish-Armenian
history should take place within civil society,” he said. Kasapoglu
believes the case against AGRs should stress four points:
-Istanbul’s tradition of tolerance for different cultures dating back
to the beginning of the Ottoman Empire.
-Despite historical and present political tensions between Turkey and
Armenia, more than 40,000 economic migrants from Armenia still choose
to live in Turkey illegally (we regularly hear the number 70,000 from
GOT officials)
-The positive, spontaneous, mass public condemnation of Hrant Dink’s
assassination was a sign of the respect people have for each other
and for different cultures.
-Turkey’s mostly young population find it hard to comprehend what
happened during World War I and politicizing ‘genocide’ allegations
will only inspire hatred.”
Istanbul’s deputy governor also raised the issue of Turkish-Armenians,
saying they were “increasingly seen as part of society but that
certain events (e.g., AGRs) ‘just make things worse’.”
“The Deputy Governor agreed that arguing against congressional
Armenian ‘genocide’ resolutions by focusing on a potential increase
in ultra-nationalism and risks to the Turkish-Armenian community’s
security is not constructive. Rather, Kasapoglu suggested focusing on
Turkey’s tradition of tolerance for religious minorities and the fact
that Armenians still choose to immigrate illegally by the thousands
to Turkey,” reads the cable, in part.