Turkish President warns US on congressional bill
MIL/IR/Agencies/CNN, Oct 11, 2007. Author:


October 11, 2007 -  Turkish President Abdullah Gul has warned the U.S. that a congressional bill recognizing the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks  in World War as genocide could adversely affect the relationship of both the countries.

The resolution was passed by a 27-21 votes with divided opinion, some reacted that it doesn’t fit a major power like the United States.
In a letter to Bush, Turkish President Abdullah Gul warned that "in the case that Armenian allegations are accepted, there will be serious problems in the relations between the two countries."

Meanwhile Turkey's ambassador to the U.S., Nabi Sensoy, said the resolution would be a "very injurious move to the psyche of the Turkish people," predicting that its passage would create a backlash in his country.

However, the passage of this bill does not carry a popular voting of the people and it also attracted criticism from within the US, and the bill was passed just marginally.(IR Summary).

News:

The resolution was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee by a 27-21 vote -- the first step towards a full House vote -- on Wednesday evening despite opposition from U.S. President George W. Bush.

Reacting to the vote on his Web site, Gul said the resolution was "unacceptable" and "doesn't fit a major power like the United States."
In a letter to Bush, Gul warned that "in the case that Armenian allegations are accepted, there will be serious problems in the relations between the two countries."

Meanwhile Turkey's ambassador to the U.S., Nabi Sensoy, said the resolution would be a "very injurious move to the psyche of the Turkish people," predicting that its passage would create a backlash in his country.

The vote was also strongly criticized by Turkish newspapers, The Associated Press reported. "Bill of hatred," said Hurriyet's front page, while Vatan's headline read "27 foolish Americans.

The U.S. embassy in Ankara warned Americans there to brace for possible anti-American demonstrations.

Turkish protests come with relations between Washington and Ankara already tense amid Turkish military and political preparations for a possible strike into northern Iraq in response to recent attacks by Kurdish militants.

Turkey accuses fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of operating from bases inside Iraqi territory. However, the U.S. has urged its NATO ally to refrain from cross-border operations amid fears they could destabilize the relatively peaceful region -- a key route for supplies into northern Iraq.

 

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