TURKISH DIASPORA PREVENTS U.S. CONGRESS FROM ADOPTING RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Today.Az
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Aug 25 2009
Azerbaijan
The political organization of Washington DC and U.S.-based Turkish
Diaspora organizations are not accepting seriously the Armenian
initiatives to put "Armenian genocide" on agenda of the U.S. Congress
and that of the local human rights organizations, one of leaders of
the Turkish Diaspora in California Karahan Mete said.
For example, during the last several months Armenians tried to
submit three resolutions on the so-called "genocide" to California
local Congress, but U.S.-based Turkish organizations (TCCA, Turkish
Defense Fund, ATAA, TAAF, PAX Turcica, TAAC, Turkuaz, TADF) managed
to prevent it, Mete said.
He said the State of California where Armenian and Greece Diasporas
are dominant is the center for Armenian’s anti-Turkish activities.
Close relationship between Turkish Diaspora and Senator Darrel
Steinberg helped to hinder implementation of draft resolution number
AJR 14, which was dedicated to the issue of "Armenian genocide",
and was aimed to keep the "Armenian genocide" on agenda, Mete said.
The Turkish Diaspora also prevented Armenians’ another resolution
number SB 234, which was aimed to propaganda the "Armenian genocide"
issue in California’s schools.
The first version of this resolution meant that any Armenian could
go to a school and talk about what happened in 1915 to his relatives,
Mete said.
But in the last version (revised by the Turkish Diaspora) only those
ones who participated in 1915 events can do these kinds of lectures
at schools.
"And as nearly none of the participants are alive it seems impossible,"
told Mete.
The third draft resolution still remains on California Senate’s
agenda under the number AB 961, and it is aimed to prohibit the
cooperation between local government and organizations which are
working with Turkey.
The Turkish Diaspora is working hard in Washington DC on dismissing
the discussion of "Armenian genocide" in the U.S. Congress during
the upcoming fall session.
Besides the Turkish organizations, the Congressional Caucus on Turkey
also works closely with this issue, Congressman Ed Whitefield (Co-Chair
of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey) office said.
According to Congressman Whitefield’s office, in an open editorial
about U.S.-Turkey relations the law-maker says that with Turkey’s
record as such a steadfast ally to the U.S. during troubled times
it would be a dangerous misstep to unnecessarily risk alienating
the Turkish people. Yet, efforts are, once again, afoot in the
U.S. Congress to label the deaths of ethnic Armenians during the
final days of the Ottoman Empire in World War I as genocide.
He said "This sort of proclamation, which bears no legal effect,
would almost certainly be seen as a slap in the face to Turkey and
a harpoon to U.S. relations with the country".
According to Congressman, the "Armenian genocide" issue remains a
matter of debate by historians, making it foolish, arrogant, and
dangerous for politicians to make historical claims for political
points".
Ed Whitefield also adds that with the two countries (Turkey and
Armenia) already working in step to resolve their differences and
advance their relationship, U.S. involvement in the situation appears
unnecessary and intrusive.