Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 16 2007
US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried: Turkey can close
Incirlik air base
[ 16 Mar 2007 13:35 ]
US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried warned Congress
yesterday against passing a resolution supporting Armenian claims of
genocide, saying the move could result in Turkey closing the Ýncirlik
air base that is used by the US military, APA reports.
The senior State Department official, told a hearing of a House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Europe that Turkish officials have
informed the US that approval of the resolution could lead to a
shutdown of the base or a restriction on US overflight privileges
granted by Turkey. He also said the US has been informed that Ankara
would respond with "extreme emotion" if the Armenian resolution were
approved.
He added the US fear was that `passage of any such resolution would
close minds and harden hearts.’
At the same time, Daniel Fried regarded the events happened in the
Ottoman Empire in 1915 as massacre.
Robert Wexler, Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee and the US-Turkey
Friendship group also underlined that anti-American mood increased in
Turkey and if genocide draft is adopted US adversaries will increase.
Joseph Ralston, the US special envoy for countering the PKK and
Daniel Fata, Pentagon representative said that cold relations with
Turkey will influence on US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
