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US xxxish lobby warns Turkish MFA: Even we might not be able to block the Armenian genocide bill if you don’t move
Saturday, January 13, 2007
EYÜP CAN
I am not trying to draw up a new crisis scenario for this year.
However, I received news that might have a “profound impact” on Turkey-U.S. relations at a dinner for top officials last night.
A very important member of the xxxish lobby in the United States said very openly, “If Turkey doesn't do something, the Armenian genocide bill will pass in the U.S. Congress despite our best efforts to block it.”
Indeed, this information which was “very sharply” worded had a cold-shower effect on all of us seated around the table including retired ambassadors and reputable businessmen.
Everybody there knew what Nancy Pelosi had promised the Armenian diaspora regarding a genocide bill and that she had pressed the button to start actual work on the topic, but nobody really expected a representative of the xxxish lobby to declare that “even we might not be able to block it if continues like this.”
The Armenian genocide bill appears on the U.S. agenda every year on April 24 but it has always been blocked by the president (regardless of whether he is a Democrat or a Republican) on one side and the xxxish lobby on the other side openly supporting Turkey.
However, according to what our guest was saying, neither the xxxish lobby nor President George W. Bush's last-minute efforts will stop the bill. The current political environment in the United States has turned against Turkey to an unprecedented degree. The degree is so large that the American Armenian National Congress expressed in a statement issued last week that their chances for passing the bill are now the highest they have been in the last decade[...]
Source:http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/a...?enewsid=63914
Saturday, January 13, 2007
EYÜP CAN
I am not trying to draw up a new crisis scenario for this year.
However, I received news that might have a “profound impact” on Turkey-U.S. relations at a dinner for top officials last night.
A very important member of the xxxish lobby in the United States said very openly, “If Turkey doesn't do something, the Armenian genocide bill will pass in the U.S. Congress despite our best efforts to block it.”
Indeed, this information which was “very sharply” worded had a cold-shower effect on all of us seated around the table including retired ambassadors and reputable businessmen.
Everybody there knew what Nancy Pelosi had promised the Armenian diaspora regarding a genocide bill and that she had pressed the button to start actual work on the topic, but nobody really expected a representative of the xxxish lobby to declare that “even we might not be able to block it if continues like this.”
The Armenian genocide bill appears on the U.S. agenda every year on April 24 but it has always been blocked by the president (regardless of whether he is a Democrat or a Republican) on one side and the xxxish lobby on the other side openly supporting Turkey.
However, according to what our guest was saying, neither the xxxish lobby nor President George W. Bush's last-minute efforts will stop the bill. The current political environment in the United States has turned against Turkey to an unprecedented degree. The degree is so large that the American Armenian National Congress expressed in a statement issued last week that their chances for passing the bill are now the highest they have been in the last decade[...]
Source:http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/a...?enewsid=63914
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