Agence France Presse
Oct 13 2007
US officials in Turkey to cool genocide row
ANKARA (AFP) – Two top US government officials arrived in Turkey on
Saturday to try to cool a diplomatic row sparked by a US
congressional vote labelling the mass killings of Armenians by the
Ottoman Turks an act of genocide.
"We thought it would be very good idea for two senior officials to
go," said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who along with US
President George W. Bush opposed Wednesday’s resolution in the the
House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
"We are certainly working to try to minimise any concrete steps the
government might take (such as) restricting the movement of our
troops," Rice said in Moscow. "I am hopeful we can prevent that."
The officials — Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman,
a former US ambassador to Ankara, and Assistant Secretary of State
for European Affairs Dan Fried — were due to have talks later
Saturday with Turkish foreign ministry under secretary, Ertugrul
Apakan, a Turkish official said.
Edelman told reporters as he arrived at Ankara airport that his visit
was to express regret for the resolution being passed. The two had
been accompanying Rice in Moscow and their diversion to Turkey was
unscheduled.
"Mr Edelman knows Turkey well, he is a friend," said the Turkish
official on condition of anonymity, adding: "They wanted to come to
Ankara."
Turkey’s anger over the vote on Wednesday in the US congressional
committee continued to make itself felt with Minister of State Kursad
Tuzmen, an influential member of the Turkish government charged with
external trade, cancelling a visit to a US-Turkish business meeting
in New York.
Tuzmen was the second Turkish official to cancel a planned visit to
the United States after the Turkish Navy commander Admiral Metin Atac
scrapped a trip in the wake of the Armenia vote.
Turkey had warned Washington that passing such a resolution could
seriously damage bilateral ties and after the vote Ankara recalled
its ambassador to the US.
According to Armenians, at least 1.5 million Armenians were killed
from 1915 to 1917 under an Ottoman Empire campaign of deportation and
murder.
Ankara acknowledges that 250,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as
many Turks died in the conflict after Armenians took up arms for
independence but staunchly rejects the tag of genocide.
Turkey’s furious reaction to the congressional vote has fuelled fears
within the Bush administration that it could lose access to a crucial
military base in NATO ally Turkey.
Though the resolution is non-binding, it is likely to come before the
full House in November although bringing a legislative measure to the
floor does not guarantee that it will proceed to a full vote.
Rice said in Moscow that the White House was trying to limit the
damage to US-Turkish relations and would try to stop a vote going to
the House floor although she said this would be "tough."
She added that she had spoken on Friday to Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan following the
vote.
"They were dismayed," she said.