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Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
May 14, 2009
Contact: Michael A. Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS
Expert Urges No Linkage between Armenia-Turkey relations and Genocide
Recognition or NKR
Washington, DC - Turkish Caucus Co-Chair and Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Congressman Robert Wexler
(D-FL), held a hearing today on U.S.-Turkey relations reported the
Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The panel included Dr. Ian O.
Lesser with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Dr. Stephen
J. Flanagan, Ph.D. with the Center for Strategic and International
Studies and David L. Phillips with the Atlantic Council of the United
States.
Testifying specifically about Armenia-Turkey relations, Phillips stated
that there should be no linkage with respect to normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey and affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. Phillips also indicated that there should be no linkage
between Turkish-Armenian relations and the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process.
"The Armenian government has consistently and repeatedly offered to
normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions only to see such
offers rejected by Turkey," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and combating its denial
is a fundamental human rights issue and in no uncertain terms should be
linked to normalization of relations. In addition, there should be no
linkage to Armenia-Turkey relations and the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process," added Ardouny.
Phillips noted that progress in relations will be measured by "actions
and not words" and raised concerns about contradictory statements made
by Turkish leaders. Phillips pointed to the inconsistent statements of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
in which Gul said that normalization would proceed "without
preconditions," while Erdogan linked it to Nagorno Karabakh.
As reported in Todays Zaman, Erdogan reassured Azerbaijan's President
stating that "some reports said Turkey gave up on Nagorno-Karabakh in
order to normalize relations with Armenia. This is an outright lie. I
dismiss it...." Erdogan also said Turkey and Azerbaijan were "one nation
with two states" and added that their stance on Nagorno Karabakh has
never changed.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan criticized Erdogan for linking
Turkey's lifting of its blockade and establishing diplomatic relations
to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "Any Turkish attempt
to interfere in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem can only
harm that process," the President's office said in a statement today.
Phillips, who also served as Chairman of the Turkish Armenian
Reconciliation Commission from 2001 to 2004, recalled the tragic
assassination of Hrant Dink, who was prosecuted under Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code for speaking about the Armenian Genocide. Phillips
indicated that one way to honor the memory and legacy of Hrant Dink
would be to expand track two activities. Phillips recounted the track
two recommendations of TARC, and noted that a legal opinion by the
International Transitional Center for Justice (ICTJ) concluded that the
Armenian Genocide met the United Nations definition of genocide.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###
NR#2009-048
Editor's Note: Witness Testimony Attached
David L. Phillips Testimony
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/p df_1/Q2_2009/Phillipstestimony5_
14_09.pdf
Dr. Stephen J. Flanagan, Ph.D
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/pdf_1/ Q2_2009/Flanagantestimony5_
14_09.pdf
Dr. Ian O. Lesser
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/pdf_ 1/Q2_2009/lessertestimony5_14
_09.pdf
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
May 14, 2009
Contact: Michael A. Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS
Expert Urges No Linkage between Armenia-Turkey relations and Genocide
Recognition or NKR
Washington, DC - Turkish Caucus Co-Chair and Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Congressman Robert Wexler
(D-FL), held a hearing today on U.S.-Turkey relations reported the
Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The panel included Dr. Ian O.
Lesser with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Dr. Stephen
J. Flanagan, Ph.D. with the Center for Strategic and International
Studies and David L. Phillips with the Atlantic Council of the United
States.
Testifying specifically about Armenia-Turkey relations, Phillips stated
that there should be no linkage with respect to normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey and affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. Phillips also indicated that there should be no linkage
between Turkish-Armenian relations and the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process.
"The Armenian government has consistently and repeatedly offered to
normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions only to see such
offers rejected by Turkey," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and combating its denial
is a fundamental human rights issue and in no uncertain terms should be
linked to normalization of relations. In addition, there should be no
linkage to Armenia-Turkey relations and the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process," added Ardouny.
Phillips noted that progress in relations will be measured by "actions
and not words" and raised concerns about contradictory statements made
by Turkish leaders. Phillips pointed to the inconsistent statements of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
in which Gul said that normalization would proceed "without
preconditions," while Erdogan linked it to Nagorno Karabakh.
As reported in Todays Zaman, Erdogan reassured Azerbaijan's President
stating that "some reports said Turkey gave up on Nagorno-Karabakh in
order to normalize relations with Armenia. This is an outright lie. I
dismiss it...." Erdogan also said Turkey and Azerbaijan were "one nation
with two states" and added that their stance on Nagorno Karabakh has
never changed.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan criticized Erdogan for linking
Turkey's lifting of its blockade and establishing diplomatic relations
to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "Any Turkish attempt
to interfere in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem can only
harm that process," the President's office said in a statement today.
Phillips, who also served as Chairman of the Turkish Armenian
Reconciliation Commission from 2001 to 2004, recalled the tragic
assassination of Hrant Dink, who was prosecuted under Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code for speaking about the Armenian Genocide. Phillips
indicated that one way to honor the memory and legacy of Hrant Dink
would be to expand track two activities. Phillips recounted the track
two recommendations of TARC, and noted that a legal opinion by the
International Transitional Center for Justice (ICTJ) concluded that the
Armenian Genocide met the United Nations definition of genocide.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###
NR#2009-048
Editor's Note: Witness Testimony Attached
David L. Phillips Testimony
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/p df_1/Q2_2009/Phillipstestimony5_
14_09.pdf
Dr. Stephen J. Flanagan, Ph.D
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/pdf_1/ Q2_2009/Flanagantestimony5_
14_09.pdf
Dr. Ian O. Lesser
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/pdf_ 1/Q2_2009/lessertestimony5_14
_09.pdf