GATES: ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’ RESOLUTION, PKK DAMAGE TIES
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 29 2007
Turkish-American relations are strong, but more work is needed to keep
them that way and more has to be done to fight the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK), and to prevent passage of the Armenian genocide
resolution pending at the US Congress the US defense secretary said
in Washington, D.C.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates
"We recognize that every Turkish citizen killed by the PKK is a
setback for success in Iraq and a setback in our relationship with
Turkey," said US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, adding: "The United
States has appointed one of our most distinguished military officers,
Gen. Joseph Ralston — a former NATO commander — as special envoy
for countering the PKK. But we know more needs to be done."
Speaking at the annual conference on US-Turkish relations organized
by various business associations and led by the American-Turkish
Council to promote commercial and cultural relations between the
two countries, Gates indicated that Turkey and the US have a strong
strategic relationship despite some "turbulence."
"It is no secret that the strategic relationship between the United
States and Turkey has undergone some turbulence in recent years.
Even so, our military, economic, political, and personal ties remain
strong. Turkey is, for example, one of the major allied partners on the
Joint Strike Fighter, and 16 US Navy ships called on Turkish ports last
year." In his first public speech after becoming defense secretary,
it was not by accident that he spoke at a Turkish-American event,
Gates said, adding that Turkey and the United States should avoid
damaging attitudes, such as the Armenian genocide resolution pending
at the US Congress and the worsening anti-American stance in Turkey.
The US defense secretary, together with US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, had sent a letter to senior members of the US
Congress indicating the damage that Turkish-US ties could suffer if
the pending resolution on Armenian claims of genocide at the hands
of the Ottoman Turks is passed.
The resolution was presented to the US House of Representatives
earlier this year, though the timing of the vote has yet to be
decided. Turkey has warned that passage of the resolution would harm
strategic relations with the United States and undermine cooperation
in key regions across the world; in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.
‘Both sides should see sensitivities’
Both the US and Turkey should be sensitive toward the issues that
carry importance for them, said retired Gen. James Jones, who was the
NATO supreme allied commander of the United States European Command
from 2003 to 2006.
After receiving the "distinguished defense award" at the ATC meeting
in Washington, Jones praised Turkey’s contribution to NATO forces in
Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Black Sea.
Babacan expects developments
Returning from the ATC meetings in Washington, Turkish Economy Minister
Ali Babacan said in Ýstanbul that he reiterated the Turkish stance
on the Armenian genocide allegations to the US business circles with
which he had contact.
"We told American business circles that if they can do anything about
communicating how Turkey sees the issue to the US Congress and the
administration, those efforts would benefit our bilateral relations."
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