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ANCA: Turkey Under Media Scrutiny for Attacks on U.S. GenocideResolu

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  • ANCA: Turkey Under Media Scrutiny for Attacks on U.S. GenocideResolu

    Armenian National Committee of America
    888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
    Washington, DC 20006
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    August 3, 2005
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    TURKEY UNDER MEDIA SCRUTINY FOR
    ATTACKS ON U.S. GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

    -- Major Story in Vanity Fair, Report by
    Public Citizen Allege Unethical Conduct
    by the Turkish Government and its Allies

    WASHINGTON, DC - A major news magazine and a leading citizens'
    group this week focused public attention on the unethical conduct of
    powerful opponents of legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide,
    reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

    Vanity Fair, in its September issue, published a 10-page story on
    FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, who was fired after "she accused a
    colleague of covering up illicit activity involving Turkish nationals."
    According to the article by contributing editor David Rose, Edmonds
    claims FBI wiretaps reveal that the Turkish government and its
    allies boasted of bribing - with as much as $500,000 - the Speaker
    of the House of Representatives as part of an alleged deal to stop
    consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

    The article cites accounts by Edmonds regarding FBI wiretaps of
    the Turkish Embassy and Turkish groups such as the American Turkish
    Council (ATC) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA),
    including, "repeated references to Hastert's flip-flop in the fall of
    2000, over an issue which remains of intense concern to the Turkish
    government, the continuing campaign to have Congress designate the
    killings of Armenians in Turkey between 1915 and 1923 a genocide."

    Rose is careful to point out that "there is no evidence that any
    payment was ever made to Hastert or his campaign." According to
    the article, "Hastert's spokesman says the Congressman withdrew the
    genocide resolution only because of the approach from [President]
    Clinton, 'and to insinuate anything else just doesn't make any sense.'
    He adds that Hastert has no affiliation with the ATC or other groups
    reportedly mentioned in the wiretaps.'" The full article can be read
    in the September issue of Vanity Fair.

    In a separate development, CongressWatch, an arm of Public Citizen,
    recently released a 49-page report raising ethical concerns about
    lobbying by former Members of Congress. The report includes a 12-
    page case study of the Livingston Group's lobbying efforts for the
    Turkish Government. The report details the efforts by Livingston
    Group founder, former House Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston,
    to secure a "$1 billion supplemental appropriation for Turkey. . .
    despite that country's refusal to allow U.S. troops to use its
    soil as a staging area for the Iraq invasion. He also helped kill
    an amendment that would have formally recognized the Armenian
    Genocide that occurred between 1915 and 1923. Turkey has always
    opposed this recognition." The Livingston Group has received over $9
    million in payments from Turkey. To read the entire report, visit:
    http://www.lobbyinginfo.org/documents/RevolveDoor.pdf

    "These behind-the-scenes accounts reveal a pattern of patently
    unethical and possibly even illegal conduct by the Turkish government
    and its allies in their efforts to oppose the Armenian Genocide
    Resolution," said Aram Hamparian. "Facing growing bipartisan
    Congressional support for this legislation, these interests are
    resorting to increasingly desperate means to avoid the international
    isolation that Turkey will face following U.S. recognition of the
    Armenian Genocide."

    In the months leading up the publication of these documents, the ANCA
    provided both Vanity Fair and Public Citizen with background materials,
    interviews, and first-hand accounts regarding Congressional efforts
    to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

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