ACCORDING TO TURKEY EXPERT, POLITICAL TENSIONS EXPECTED IN USA
Panorama.am
01:16 12/10/2007
"Currently, Turkey cannot do everything it threatens to do. All they
can do is suggest symbolic steps," Turkey expert Ruben Safrastyan
told a Panorama.am journalist when answering a question as to what
he expects to happen to Armenian-Turkish relations after the passage
of House Resolution No. 106.
We note that yesterday the foreign relations committee of the US
House of Representatives voted 27 for, 21 against in passing the
resolution. In Safrastyan’s words, Turkey’s parliament will take a
symbolic step and allow their armed forces to enter northern Iraq.
"That is also seen as a step in pressuring the USA," he insisted.
Safrastyan said that he didn’t expect the passage of the resolution
to have any major affect on Armenia.
"Armenia’s budget won’t get larger, and Armenia won’t get more foreign
aid. We can only be happy that a large and important government
recognized and condemned the Genocide. We have to be thankful for
that," he said. Safrastyan says he can’t say for sure if the resolution
will become law in the end. "The Bush administration, and especially
Condoleezza Rice, are fighting hard against the resolution. The
reality is difficult, but many are on our side this time," he added.
In any event, the resolution will now be passed on to Nancy Pelosi,
who will present the resolution to the House of Representatives
for discussion. "The House session continues until mid-November,"
he said. "We’ll have to see if Pelosi will present the resolution in
the current session or wait until after the winter break."