INTERNATIONAL 04.24.2006 Monday – ISTANBUL 17:15
‘If Armenian Genocide Bill Accepted, US may Apply to Hague’
By Ali H. Aslan, Washington
Published: Sunday, April 23, 2006
zaman.com
The specialist lawyer, Gunay Evinch, spoke to Zaman about the possible
legal implications of Washington Armenian lobby’s activities for
Turkey.
Evinch believes the bills presented to the US Congress will not be
accepted easily.
He says Armenians failed to make the House of Representatives accept
their allegations; so they are pressuring members of the Senate.
`What will be its legal implications, if the so-called Armenian
genocide is approved by the House of Representatives or the Senate,
though it is a rare possibility?’ is question much in the air
nowadays.
According to Evinch, in such a case, the US Foreign Secretary might
have to apply to the Hague Tribunal as required by the United Nations
genocide agreement article number 9 because it is difficult for the
government to ignore such a decision by the Senate, though the bill is
not `binding’ for the government.
The executive wing of the government might be pressured on the ground
`why it is not taking initiatives for human rights.’
If the issue appears at the Hague Tribunal, the US and Turkey will
have to launch a legal debate whether the issue comes within the
purview of the court.
The US might initiate a detailed case or request a `recommendation,’
if the court accepts the case.
Observers say since the US does not want to confront a strategic
partner like Turkey, it will continue to pressure the Congress to not
approve pro-genocide bills.
Evinch believes that Armenians try to `politicize’ the issue since
they can only provide Hague Tribunal with `secondary’ evidences and
their chance of winning the case is low.
If the issues dating back to World War I are re-debated and the
Pandora box is opened, Turkey may also bring to the fore the unjust
treatments committed against the Turkish and Muslim people during that
period.
al&alt=&trh060424&hn=32363