Güncelleme Tarihi:
"The bad news is that the Armenian lobby is fully mobilized, highly motivated and in possession of unprecedentedly clear and unqualified commitments from leading members of the new Administration that the events of 1915 will be termed 'genocide'," Mark Parris, retired U.S. Ambassador to Ankara said late on Wednesday at a dinner in Istanbul hosted by Turkey's International Investors Association.
U.S. President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had pledged, once in office, to recognize the Armenian claims regarding the 1915 incidents during the election campaign.
The move helped them to garner the support of the Armenian lobby that is expected to push for another legislation in Congress to have their claims recognized.
Parris, who is currently a consultant to the Washington-based Brookings Institute, said he does not think it necessarily means either a resolution or a statement by the White House will be realized.
"It is not a pretty picture from where we sit tonight... At the end of the day someone in
Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.Turkey rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at least as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.
The issue remains unsolved as
DAVOS LIKELY TO IMPACT JEWISH LOBBY
Parris said for
"I understand from today's Hurriyet headlines there is something tangible and imminent if that promises are realized that could change the course of the discussions in
Hurriyet daily reported on Wednesday that
Parris confirmed the recent concerns in
"I think that there is some likelihood that there will be an impact on enthusiasm on which to address a potential action having to do with the genocide... If you had read their statements you will see that they had stressed the strategic importance of
Parris said
On the one hand
"One the other hand, some of the rhetoric here has, I fear, undermined
Parris said the issue that tops the agenda of the new Obama administration is the economy, but that he is confident it will meet the challenge to ensure that Turkey receives the timely, senior-level attention it merits as a country that “can help or the hurt the new administration’s efforts abroad”.
The Obama administration comes into office with recent and clear reminders that
PARTNERSHIP IN ENERGY
Among all the challenges awaiting Turkey-U.S. relations, partnership in energy is a more encouraging subject after “a tragic lost opportunity in the last eight years”, according to Parris.
“The hour is late. But
The new administration will find that Turkey-Russia relations are not the same as they were eight years ago and the countries’ positions on various issues such as
“I’m not among those who believe
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