The Washington Note
March 2, 2010 Tuesday 10:47 AM EST
Armenian Genocide Resolution Could Imperil Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Mar. 2, 2010 (The Washington Note delivered by Newstex) —
I attended a media briefing at the Turkish Embassy yesterday, during
which a group of visiting Turkish Foreign Affairs Committee members
urged the U.S. House of Representatives not to pass H.R. 252 – which
accuses Turkey of committing genocide against Armenians in 1915 and is
scheduled to be voted on by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on
Thursday.
In addition to reiterating Turkey’s long-held position that the events
of 1915 do not constitute genocide, the delegates warned that the
resolution could imperil Turkey’s ongoing and unprecedented efforts to
normalize relations with Armenia.
Over at Foreign Policy Passport, Joshua Keating concludes that
Turkey’s warnings suggest that it is not genuinely committed to the
negotiations with Armenia and may only be taking part due to U.S.
pressure.
With all due respect, I don’t think Keating’s analysis is a correct
interpretation of Turkey’s perspective on this issue.
Here is what Keating says in his post:
It seems a bit contradictory to me that the Turkish government on the
one hand says it sees the Armenian rapprochement as vital to its own
national interest, but on the other hand says the U.S. resolution will
imperil it.
Sensing that there was some misunderstanding in the room, I asked one
of the panelists – AK Party Deputy of External Affairs Suat
Kiniklioglu – to explain the domestic political dynamics within Turkey
and why the resolution would make it more difficult to reach an
agreement with Armenia.
Kiniklioglu’s response was that passing the resolution would likely
strengthen radical, nationalist elements in both Turkey and Armenia
who oppose the accords and who would use the resolution to push their
own agendas.
It appears that the White House, which has not taken a formal position
on this week’s vote, understands these sensitivities as well.
Here is what White House spokesman Mike Hammer said, when asked about
the resolution:
Our interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just
acknowledgment of the facts. We continue to believe that the best way
to advance that goal is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address
the facts of the past as a part of their ongoing efforts to normalize
relations.
Reading between the lines, Hammer seems to be implicitly acknowledging
the Turkish position, which is that the resolution would complicate
the current effort by Turkey and Armenia to conduct a joint historical
review of the facts.
Notwithstanding my own serious doubts about whether Turkey and Armenia
will successfully normalize their relations, it is not difficult to
understand how H.R. 252 might make that task more difficult.
— Ben Katcher