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Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 11 2007
Azeri pundits say genocide resolution to damage US-Turkey ties
Azerbaiijani pundits have warned of serious repercussions for
UK-Turkish relations if the US House of Representatives approves a
resolution recognizing mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th
century as genocide as recommended by the congressional foreign
affairs committee. They all noted the high likelihood of the
resolution being passed, highlighting the role of the Armenian
Diaspora in lobbying for the resolution. One of the analysts said
that Turkey's tough response could jeopardize US military operations
in Iraq, which could end in "a catastrophe". The following is an
excerpt from report by Azerbaijani news agency Trend:
Baku, 11 October: The adoption by the US House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs of a resolution recognizing the
so-called "genocide of Armenians" will deal a serious blow to
US-Turkish relations, Azerbaijani political scientists say.
"It is very likely that the Congress will adopt the resolution. If
the Congress adopts the resolution on the so-called 'genocide of
Armenians', this will deal a painful blow to US state interests,"
Democratic Reforms Party MP Asim Mollazada said in Baku today.
[Passage omitted: background to the resolution]
Mollazada believes that the recognition of the so-called "genocide of
Armenians" will damage US relations with its biggest ally in the
Middle East. "A blow will also be delivered to joint US-Turkish
programmes," Mollazada said.
He said the resolution was adopted to meet the interests of the
Armenian ethnic group living in the USA. "The US administration is
well aware that the recognition of the so-called 'genocide of
Armenians' will deal a blow to Washington's interests. President
George Bush's protest against the committee's decision is proof of
that," Mollazada said.
Mollazada believes that the US Congress still has time to correct the
mistake by holding discussion and adopting a resolution on the most
terrible tragedy of the 20th century committed by Armenians - the
Xocali tragedy [massacre of Azeris in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy
Karabakh region on 26 February 1992]. "The US Congress can turn the
situation around by recognizing the Xocali tragedy committed by
Armenians," he said.
Independent political scientist Rasim Misabayov thinks that the
Armenian lobby, which managed to convince the congressional committee
to adopt the resolution on the so-called "genocide of Armenians"
pursues the sole aim of delivering a blow to US-Turkish ties. "This
cannot be allowed to happen. Turkey's response should be
well-measured," Musabayov said.
He said that the issue is yet to be discussed in the House of
Representatives of the US Congress and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is
interested in putting the resolution to the vote. "The likelihood of
the US House of Representatives backing the resolution on the
recognition of 'Armenian genocide' is very high. But the resolution
is not a law and is not legally binding. The US president simply gets
a recommendation that in his foreign policy he should take into
account the fact that Armenians were subjected to 'genocide'. But
George Bush has openly stated that he will take no account of that,"
Musabayov said.
In his view, the resolution will have no impact whatsoever on the US
position on the Middle East or the policy the USA pursues in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Musabayov believes that Turkey may respond by severing
its relations with the US Congress. For its part, the Turkish
parliament may adopt a resolution that the USA subjected Indians to
genocide and killed Muslims.
In his opinion one of the possible consequences could be a sharp
worsening of Ankara's attitude towards the US policy on Iraq. This
could entail serious problems for Washington.
"The resolution adopted the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US
House of Representatives must be approved by the House of
Representatives to gain the status of a document. I think there is
still time to prevent the biggest mistake of the 21st century," a
member of the political council of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party
and member of Azerbaijan's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe [PACE], Aydin Mirzazada, has said.
He said that the Democrats, who hold a majority in the Congress, seek
to gain the votes of the Armenian lobby in the coming presidential
election by adopting the resolution. "The Democrats have taken an
unfair decision and lost the votes of US citizens of Turkish origin,"
Mirzazada said.
He believes that even though the decision is advisory, it may still
lead to serious consequences for US foreign policy.
Mirzazada noted that 70 per cent of Iraq-bound cargoes being
transported by air by the US military and 30 per cent by land pass
across Turkey. He said that if Ankara slaps a ban on those transport
operations, the Iraq war, which has cost billions of dollars, may end
in a catastrophe.
Oct 11 2007
Azeri pundits say genocide resolution to damage US-Turkey ties
Azerbaiijani pundits have warned of serious repercussions for
UK-Turkish relations if the US House of Representatives approves a
resolution recognizing mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th
century as genocide as recommended by the congressional foreign
affairs committee. They all noted the high likelihood of the
resolution being passed, highlighting the role of the Armenian
Diaspora in lobbying for the resolution. One of the analysts said
that Turkey's tough response could jeopardize US military operations
in Iraq, which could end in "a catastrophe". The following is an
excerpt from report by Azerbaijani news agency Trend:
Baku, 11 October: The adoption by the US House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs of a resolution recognizing the
so-called "genocide of Armenians" will deal a serious blow to
US-Turkish relations, Azerbaijani political scientists say.
"It is very likely that the Congress will adopt the resolution. If
the Congress adopts the resolution on the so-called 'genocide of
Armenians', this will deal a painful blow to US state interests,"
Democratic Reforms Party MP Asim Mollazada said in Baku today.
[Passage omitted: background to the resolution]
Mollazada believes that the recognition of the so-called "genocide of
Armenians" will damage US relations with its biggest ally in the
Middle East. "A blow will also be delivered to joint US-Turkish
programmes," Mollazada said.
He said the resolution was adopted to meet the interests of the
Armenian ethnic group living in the USA. "The US administration is
well aware that the recognition of the so-called 'genocide of
Armenians' will deal a blow to Washington's interests. President
George Bush's protest against the committee's decision is proof of
that," Mollazada said.
Mollazada believes that the US Congress still has time to correct the
mistake by holding discussion and adopting a resolution on the most
terrible tragedy of the 20th century committed by Armenians - the
Xocali tragedy [massacre of Azeris in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy
Karabakh region on 26 February 1992]. "The US Congress can turn the
situation around by recognizing the Xocali tragedy committed by
Armenians," he said.
Independent political scientist Rasim Misabayov thinks that the
Armenian lobby, which managed to convince the congressional committee
to adopt the resolution on the so-called "genocide of Armenians"
pursues the sole aim of delivering a blow to US-Turkish ties. "This
cannot be allowed to happen. Turkey's response should be
well-measured," Musabayov said.
He said that the issue is yet to be discussed in the House of
Representatives of the US Congress and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is
interested in putting the resolution to the vote. "The likelihood of
the US House of Representatives backing the resolution on the
recognition of 'Armenian genocide' is very high. But the resolution
is not a law and is not legally binding. The US president simply gets
a recommendation that in his foreign policy he should take into
account the fact that Armenians were subjected to 'genocide'. But
George Bush has openly stated that he will take no account of that,"
Musabayov said.
In his view, the resolution will have no impact whatsoever on the US
position on the Middle East or the policy the USA pursues in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Musabayov believes that Turkey may respond by severing
its relations with the US Congress. For its part, the Turkish
parliament may adopt a resolution that the USA subjected Indians to
genocide and killed Muslims.
In his opinion one of the possible consequences could be a sharp
worsening of Ankara's attitude towards the US policy on Iraq. This
could entail serious problems for Washington.
"The resolution adopted the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US
House of Representatives must be approved by the House of
Representatives to gain the status of a document. I think there is
still time to prevent the biggest mistake of the 21st century," a
member of the political council of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party
and member of Azerbaijan's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe [PACE], Aydin Mirzazada, has said.
He said that the Democrats, who hold a majority in the Congress, seek
to gain the votes of the Armenian lobby in the coming presidential
election by adopting the resolution. "The Democrats have taken an
unfair decision and lost the votes of US citizens of Turkish origin,"
Mirzazada said.
He believes that even though the decision is advisory, it may still
lead to serious consequences for US foreign policy.
Mirzazada noted that 70 per cent of Iraq-bound cargoes being
transported by air by the US military and 30 per cent by land pass
across Turkey. He said that if Ankara slaps a ban on those transport
operations, the Iraq war, which has cost billions of dollars, may end
in a catastrophe.