ANKARA WARNS US OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
Zaman Online, Turkey
Dec 28 2006
Faced with the possibility that the U.S. Congress will consider a
proposal with regard to the alleged Armenian genocide, Spokesperson
for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Namik Tan asked the U.S.
Administration to continue its long-lasting balanced and constructive
policy.
At a weekly press conference Tan discussed news reports indicating
that with the Democrats in control of both houses of Congress,
the U.S. legislative body would consider a proposal on the alleged
Armenian genocide. Tan noted that Turkey was following the efforts of
the Armenian lobby to exploit the political situation in the United
States with great concern.
Noting that bilateral relations between Turkey and the United States
were multidimensional and strategic, Tan further said: "The U.S. has
always been constructive and right minded vis-a-vis those kinds
of efforts. We believe that the U.S. administration will continue
the same approach. The relations between the U.S. and Turkey are so
important that they transcend those insignificant issues." Asked about
the recent remarks made by Armenian authorities, Tan recalled that
any concrete results from those efforts largely depended on Armenia’s
flexible and constructive approach to resolve the regional problems
in compliance with the international legal rules and regulations.
EU invitation letter insufficient
Tan noted that Turkey requested information from Azerbaijani
authorities concerning the allegations made by Armenian-origin Turkish
citizen Burak Bedikyan that he was maltreated and not admitted into
Azerbaijan. Spokesperson Tan also noted that the European Union’s
invitation letter to initiate negotiations in the field of industry and
establishments has arrived in Ankara. Tan stressed that the letter did
not meet Turkey’s expectations, as an invitation to start negotiations
in four chapters was anticipated.