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PLANNED HOUSE VOTE ON ARMENIAN MASSACRE ANGERS TURKS
By Sebnem Arsu And Brian Knowlton
The New York Times
March 30 2007
Photo: Boats ferried officials Thursday toward an island on which a
ceremony was held for a museum in a restored Armenian church, near
Van, Turkey.
ISTANBUL, March 29 - A planned vote in Congress that would classify
the widespread killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government
early in the 20th century as genocide is threatening to make bilateral
relations unusually tense.
The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, backs the resolution and
at first wanted a vote in April. But under Turkish pressure, Bush
administration figures have lobbied for the Democrats in charge of
Congress to drop the measure.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert
M. Gates sent strong letters of protest to her and to Representative
Tom Lantos, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which has not
set a date for the vote. "That has had an impact," said Lynne Weil,
a Lantos spokeswoman, referring to the letters. Copies were also sent
to Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the House minority leader.
Turkey vehemently denies the genocide, in which 1.5 million Armenians
died during a period of several years, beginning in 1915. It contends
that the deaths occurred in the chaos of war, as the Ottoman Empire was
falling apart, and that many Turks were also killed when Armenians
sided with Russian forces in the hope of claiming territory in
eastern Turkey.
But many Armenians have sought acknowledgment from nations around
the world that the deaths amounted to systematic genocide at Ottoman
hands. So far, parliaments of more than 15 countries have agreed.
France and Switzerland went further and called for criminal charges
against those who deny it.
A vote in Congress would be purely symbolic, but Turks have warned that
it would be felt as a bitter slap, and could cause enormous public
pressure on the government in Ankara to chill its cooperation with
Washington, which has strong military ties to Turkey, a NATO member.
In an effort to highlight Turkey's opposition to a Congressional
resolution, many high-ranking Turkish officials have visited Washington
in recent months. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, one of them, says
that the damage would be very deep if the resolution passed.
"It is only natural that the Turkish public who closely follow the
issue would also react to this strongly," Mr. Gul said in a telephone
interview this week. "As the elected government of democratic Turkey,
we would not be able to remain indifferent. However, I am confident
that common sense would prevail at the Congress."
In Turkey on Thursday, the government held an opening ceremony for a
museum in a restored Armenian church near the city of Van in eastern
Turkey that dates from the year 941 and is considered one of the most
precious symbols of the Armenian presence in Anatolia. The renovation
was undertaken as a major step to mend ties with Armenians.
Mr. Gates and Ms. Rice, in joint letters, spoke sympathetically of
"the horrendous suffering that ethnic Armenians endured" and called
for more study of the events. But they also noted that when the French
National Assembly voted last year, the Turkish military responded by
deciding to "cut all contacts with the French military and terminated
defense contracts under negotiation."
The letters, dated March 7, are posted at foreignaffairs.house.gov/110
A similar reaction now by the Turkish government, the letters warned,
"could harm American troops in the field" and constrain the American
military in any number of ways.
Mr. Gates chose a meeting of the American-Turkish Council
in Washington, a business group that promotes American-Turkish
cooperation on trade, security and cultural matters, to make a major
policy speech on Tuesday. Not only did he describe Turkey as an ally
that "I have long believed to be undervalued and underappreciated,"
but he made a point of arguing against the genocide resolution.
"Our two nations should oppose measures and rhetoric that needlessly
and destructively antagonize each other," Mr. Gates said Tuesday.
Daniel Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European and
Eurasian affairs, warned in testimony to Congress in mid-March that
Turkish wrath could be so strong that Turkey might bar American access
to Incirlik Air Base, in eastern Turkey, through which 74 percent of
United States military air cargo destined for Iraq passes.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry also chided the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on Thursday for supporting a resolution that would condemn
the killing in January of Hrant Dink, an editor who was a voice for
ethnic Armenians in Turkey.
Asked about the warnings from the two administration officials,
Representative Adam Schiff of California, a lead sponsor of the House
resolution, said, "I don't see how we can have the moral authority
that we need to condemn the genocide going on in Darfur, if we're
unwilling to recognize other genocides that have taken place."
Similar Congressional votes have been deferred in the past after
intense lobbying. But with strong support for the resolution from Ms.
Pelosi, and lingering resentment in Congress over Turkey's refusal to
let United States forces use Turkish soil for the invasion of Iraq,
the bill's prospects may have grown.
"It has 183 sponsors," said Elizabeth Chouldjian of the Armenian
National Committee of America. "It is very likely that if it came up
for a vote right now, it would pass."
Fueled partly by anger over the Iraq war, a positive view of the
United States among Turks plunged from 52 percent in 2000 to a low
of 12 percent last year, according to a Pew Global Attitudes Survey.
In Istanbul, Etyen Mahcupyan, an intellectual of Armenian descent who
succeeded Mr. Dink at the weekly Agos, said that foreign pressure on
Turkey would only fuel extreme nationalism.
"Turkish people are just beginning to realize that there are things
they were not taught in schools, so we are curious and willing to
talk about not only the Armenian issue but also other things freely,"
Mr. Mahcupyan said. "It is not fair to expect a society to accept
the truths of other societies without having the chance to discuss
them first."
Sebnem Arsu reported from Istanbul, and Brian Knowlton from Washington.
By Sebnem Arsu And Brian Knowlton
The New York Times
March 30 2007
Photo: Boats ferried officials Thursday toward an island on which a
ceremony was held for a museum in a restored Armenian church, near
Van, Turkey.
ISTANBUL, March 29 - A planned vote in Congress that would classify
the widespread killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government
early in the 20th century as genocide is threatening to make bilateral
relations unusually tense.
The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, backs the resolution and
at first wanted a vote in April. But under Turkish pressure, Bush
administration figures have lobbied for the Democrats in charge of
Congress to drop the measure.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert
M. Gates sent strong letters of protest to her and to Representative
Tom Lantos, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which has not
set a date for the vote. "That has had an impact," said Lynne Weil,
a Lantos spokeswoman, referring to the letters. Copies were also sent
to Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the House minority leader.
Turkey vehemently denies the genocide, in which 1.5 million Armenians
died during a period of several years, beginning in 1915. It contends
that the deaths occurred in the chaos of war, as the Ottoman Empire was
falling apart, and that many Turks were also killed when Armenians
sided with Russian forces in the hope of claiming territory in
eastern Turkey.
But many Armenians have sought acknowledgment from nations around
the world that the deaths amounted to systematic genocide at Ottoman
hands. So far, parliaments of more than 15 countries have agreed.
France and Switzerland went further and called for criminal charges
against those who deny it.
A vote in Congress would be purely symbolic, but Turks have warned that
it would be felt as a bitter slap, and could cause enormous public
pressure on the government in Ankara to chill its cooperation with
Washington, which has strong military ties to Turkey, a NATO member.
In an effort to highlight Turkey's opposition to a Congressional
resolution, many high-ranking Turkish officials have visited Washington
in recent months. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, one of them, says
that the damage would be very deep if the resolution passed.
"It is only natural that the Turkish public who closely follow the
issue would also react to this strongly," Mr. Gul said in a telephone
interview this week. "As the elected government of democratic Turkey,
we would not be able to remain indifferent. However, I am confident
that common sense would prevail at the Congress."
In Turkey on Thursday, the government held an opening ceremony for a
museum in a restored Armenian church near the city of Van in eastern
Turkey that dates from the year 941 and is considered one of the most
precious symbols of the Armenian presence in Anatolia. The renovation
was undertaken as a major step to mend ties with Armenians.
Mr. Gates and Ms. Rice, in joint letters, spoke sympathetically of
"the horrendous suffering that ethnic Armenians endured" and called
for more study of the events. But they also noted that when the French
National Assembly voted last year, the Turkish military responded by
deciding to "cut all contacts with the French military and terminated
defense contracts under negotiation."
The letters, dated March 7, are posted at foreignaffairs.house.gov/110
A similar reaction now by the Turkish government, the letters warned,
"could harm American troops in the field" and constrain the American
military in any number of ways.
Mr. Gates chose a meeting of the American-Turkish Council
in Washington, a business group that promotes American-Turkish
cooperation on trade, security and cultural matters, to make a major
policy speech on Tuesday. Not only did he describe Turkey as an ally
that "I have long believed to be undervalued and underappreciated,"
but he made a point of arguing against the genocide resolution.
"Our two nations should oppose measures and rhetoric that needlessly
and destructively antagonize each other," Mr. Gates said Tuesday.
Daniel Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European and
Eurasian affairs, warned in testimony to Congress in mid-March that
Turkish wrath could be so strong that Turkey might bar American access
to Incirlik Air Base, in eastern Turkey, through which 74 percent of
United States military air cargo destined for Iraq passes.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry also chided the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on Thursday for supporting a resolution that would condemn
the killing in January of Hrant Dink, an editor who was a voice for
ethnic Armenians in Turkey.
Asked about the warnings from the two administration officials,
Representative Adam Schiff of California, a lead sponsor of the House
resolution, said, "I don't see how we can have the moral authority
that we need to condemn the genocide going on in Darfur, if we're
unwilling to recognize other genocides that have taken place."
Similar Congressional votes have been deferred in the past after
intense lobbying. But with strong support for the resolution from Ms.
Pelosi, and lingering resentment in Congress over Turkey's refusal to
let United States forces use Turkish soil for the invasion of Iraq,
the bill's prospects may have grown.
"It has 183 sponsors," said Elizabeth Chouldjian of the Armenian
National Committee of America. "It is very likely that if it came up
for a vote right now, it would pass."
Fueled partly by anger over the Iraq war, a positive view of the
United States among Turks plunged from 52 percent in 2000 to a low
of 12 percent last year, according to a Pew Global Attitudes Survey.
In Istanbul, Etyen Mahcupyan, an intellectual of Armenian descent who
succeeded Mr. Dink at the weekly Agos, said that foreign pressure on
Turkey would only fuel extreme nationalism.
"Turkish people are just beginning to realize that there are things
they were not taught in schools, so we are curious and willing to
talk about not only the Armenian issue but also other things freely,"
Mr. Mahcupyan said. "It is not fair to expect a society to accept
the truths of other societies without having the chance to discuss
them first."
Sebnem Arsu reported from Istanbul, and Brian Knowlton from Washington.