BALANCE IN AMERICA-TURKEY RELATIONS?
By H. Tsulikian
AZG Armenian Daily
11/04/2007
On March 30 "The International Herald Tribune" published an article
by Sebnem Arsu and Bryan Nolton.
The article says that US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and
Secretary of State for Defense Robert Gates addressed letters to Nancy
Pelosi, Speaker of the Representatives’ Chamber and head of Foreign
Relations Commission Tom Lantos, expressing their disappointment
about the issue of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
Expressing their terror with the awful events of 1915 they remind that
Turkey made attempts to abolish all economic and military agreements
with France after the French Parliament adopted the law about the
Armenian Genocide. Robert Gates in a speech addressed to American and
Turkish public said that Turkey is underestimated. He declared that
Turkey and the USA should avoid any resolutions or statements, which
upset the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.
On the other hand Etienne Mahjupian, who became the editor of "Agos"
after the murder of Hrant Dink, notes that pressure from outside
will surely provoke nationalistic movements inside Turkey. "The
Turks are just starting to realize that they haven’t been taught a
lot at school. That is why we are trying to speak to them openly of
the Armenian Genocide and other issues.
It is senseless to expect that a society accepts the ideas of another
one without having opportunity of considering it first by itself,"
he says.