Milliyet. Now is the time to recognize the Armenian genocide

Region 11:38 18/06/2010

Milliyet. Now is the time to recognize the Armenian genocide

US Congressmen ratcheted up their criticism of Turkey Wednesday, warning that Ankara was risking its historically warm ties with Congress by reaching toward Iran and breaking with Israel. In a press conference defending Israel’s raid on a Turkish-flagged aid ship trying to break the Gaza blockade, several dozen of whose passengers had ties to terror organizations, numerous members of Congress turned their ire toward Turkey, Milliyet reported.

Speaking at the same press conference, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Indiana) said he recently warned the Turkish ambassador that “With regard to Congress of the United States, there will be a cost if Turkey stays on its current path of growing closed to Iran and more antagonistic to the State of Israel.” Among other issues, he said, he was now likely to switch his vote to support a resolution recognizing the mass killing of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as genocide, a move he had voted against in the past because he thought relations with Turkey were more important.

Peter King (R-NY), another participant in the press conference who said he was now likely to switch positions – as were many other of his colleagues.

King stressed that this wasn’t just about Turkey’s support of the Gaza flotilla and its heavy criticism of Israel, but the government’s move toward Iran and its turn away from running a secular democratic state.

“This is a clear effort, I believe, by Turkey to distance itself from the West, and there have to be consequences for that,” he said.

Indeed, Adam Schiff (DCalifornia) cited Turkey’s opposition to sanctions against Iran in circulating a letter Tuesday calling for his colleagues to take up the Armenian genocide resolution.

“Now is the time to recognize the Armenian genocide.

“Turkey is responsible for the nine deaths aboard that ship. It is not Israel that’s responsible,” declared Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nevada), who pointed to Turkish funding and support for the expedition.

“If Israel is at fault in any way, it’s by falling into the trap that was set for them by Turkey.”

She continued: “The Turks have extraordinary nerve to lecture the State of Israel when they are occupiers of the island of Cyprus, where they systematically discriminate against the ecumenical patriarch, and they refuse to recognize the Armenian genocide.”

Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

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