DEMOCRATS WAVER ON TURKEY RESOLUTION
EarthTimes, UK
Oct 17 2007
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 Some Democrats in the U.S. Congress are urging
the party’s leadership to drop a resolution labeling Turkey’s World
War I killing of Armenians as genocide.
The controversial resolution drew a strong reaction from Turkey,
which has long been a U.S. ally and NATO member, for applying the
genocide label to the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman
Turks, CNN reported Wednesday.
Turkey threatened to deny the United States access to Incirlik Air
Base after a House committee approved the resolution. The country
admits to the historical killings, but objects to the genocide label.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., implied Tuesday that a
final vote on the resolution may be put off.
"I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here,"
said Hoyer. "I have not changed on that, although I would be less than
candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting
their own positions. We will have to determine where everybody is."
Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., the chairman of the House Armed Services
Committee, said last week he does not support the resolution and
Reps. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., and John Tanner, D-Tenn., who serve as
members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO, have asked House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a letter to reconsider the legislation.