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FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS A DRAFT BILL INTRODUCED TO US CONGRESS URGING OBAMA TO RESOLVE TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS
Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 2 2015
A U.S. lawmaker have introduced a resolution on Thursday asking the
Obama administration to designate a task force to improve stranded
relations between Turkey and Armenia for the next hundred years based
upon the two countries' common interest.
"Turkey and Armenia are very important to the American interests,"
congressman Curt Clawson wrote in a letter to House colleagues
in an attempt to garner support for his resolution that seeks to
find reconciliation between the two states. "U.S interests (in the
region) can be advanced by both countries acting to cultivate peace
and understanding."
In the resulotion plan, Clawson called on U.S. President Obama to work
toward equitable, constructive, stable and durable Armenian-Turkish
relations and underlined that the importance of the U.S.' relations
with Turkey because of the country's geostrategic position between
Europe and the Middle East which has made the country an important
partner in combating extremism in the region.
"This is the first time that we see a draft bill of that kind in the
Congress," said Derya Taskin, president of the New York-based Turkish
Institute for Progress.
She said she supports Clawson's "historical," bill and pointed out
that the Turkish Institute for Progress is also working to help
resolve Turkish-Armenian relations.
Relations between Turkey and Armenia have historically been poor
because of incidents that took place during World War I. The Armenian
diaspora and government describe the 1915 events as "genocide" and
have asked for compensation.
Turkey officially refutes this description, saying that although
Armenians died during relocations, many Turks also lost their lives
in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
Ankara has also long been calling for Armenia and its historians
to make a joint academic research and study into the archives of
both countries.
In April 2014, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan-at the time prime
minister - offered condolences for the Armenian deaths that occurred
in 1915-a first for a Turkish statesman.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/04/02/first-time-in-20-years-a-draft-bill-introduced-to-us-congress-urging-obama-to-resolve-turkisharmenian-relations
Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 2 2015
A U.S. lawmaker have introduced a resolution on Thursday asking the
Obama administration to designate a task force to improve stranded
relations between Turkey and Armenia for the next hundred years based
upon the two countries' common interest.
"Turkey and Armenia are very important to the American interests,"
congressman Curt Clawson wrote in a letter to House colleagues
in an attempt to garner support for his resolution that seeks to
find reconciliation between the two states. "U.S interests (in the
region) can be advanced by both countries acting to cultivate peace
and understanding."
In the resulotion plan, Clawson called on U.S. President Obama to work
toward equitable, constructive, stable and durable Armenian-Turkish
relations and underlined that the importance of the U.S.' relations
with Turkey because of the country's geostrategic position between
Europe and the Middle East which has made the country an important
partner in combating extremism in the region.
"This is the first time that we see a draft bill of that kind in the
Congress," said Derya Taskin, president of the New York-based Turkish
Institute for Progress.
She said she supports Clawson's "historical," bill and pointed out
that the Turkish Institute for Progress is also working to help
resolve Turkish-Armenian relations.
Relations between Turkey and Armenia have historically been poor
because of incidents that took place during World War I. The Armenian
diaspora and government describe the 1915 events as "genocide" and
have asked for compensation.
Turkey officially refutes this description, saying that although
Armenians died during relocations, many Turks also lost their lives
in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
Ankara has also long been calling for Armenia and its historians
to make a joint academic research and study into the archives of
both countries.
In April 2014, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan-at the time prime
minister - offered condolences for the Armenian deaths that occurred
in 1915-a first for a Turkish statesman.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/04/02/first-time-in-20-years-a-draft-bill-introduced-to-us-congress-urging-obama-to-resolve-turkisharmenian-relations