TURKS SAY U.S. CONDEMNATION WILL LEAD TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS
Tim King Salem-News.com
Salem-News.Com, OR
Oct 12 2007
The French Parliament committee passed a resolution last year that
was similar, and not a single French plane has flown through Turkish
airspace since that time.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The United States may be on the verge of
seriously angering the Turkish government over a pending decision
in the U.S. House of Representatives which would approve calling the
Turkish killings of Armenians during World War I "genocide."
The U.S. has been warned by a high level Turkish official that
consequences "won’t be pleasant" if Congress approves the change. So
far, the vote stood at 27-21 Wednesday, in spite of the fact that
President Bush and other administration officials lobbied against it.
A full house vote could happen as early as Friday.
The decision will seriously compromise U.S. relations with Turkey,
a country that allows the United States access to military bases
and runways.
Turkey is a NATO member, the nation has been a major U.S. ally in
the Middle East and a middle point for sending supplies into Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says good relations with Turkey are
vital, as 70 percent of the air cargo bound for the military theater
in Iraq passes through Turkey, as does 30 percent of the fuel needed
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As Turkey accuses the U.S. of playing hardball, their foreign policy
adviser Egemen Bagis stated, "I can assure you Turkey knows how to
play hardball."
The move to condemn Turkey sits very poorly with Turkish President
Abdullah Gul. He made a statement via his Website that the resolution
was "unacceptable." He added that it "doesn’t fit a major power like
the United States."
Gul warned President Bush in a letter, that there will be serious
problems in the relations between the two countries.
The Resolution is sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California. He
told CNN that the measure already had 226 co-sponsors, which would
be more than enough votes to pass.
Insiders say the resolution comes at a highly sensitive point in
relations between the two countries. The United States is urging
Turkey not to send its troops over the border into northern Iraq. Our
government apparenty fears the repercussions that could happen if
Turks decide to fight with separatist Kurdish rebels. The group has
launched border crossing attacks in some areas of Turkey.
The French Parliament committee passed a resolution last year that
was similar, and not a single French plane has flown through Turkish
airspace since that time. A similar scenario could be devastating
for the U.S. military operation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
