US Congress should end the recognition debate
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Hürriyet Daily News
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Mart 02, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - With a fresh resolution calling on the United States to formally recognize the Armenians’ claims of "genocide"looming on the horizon, the US Congress should not repeat the same cycle of events if an Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is desired, according to a Newsweek article
While Washington gears up for another debate on the Armenian claims of "genocide", the U.S. Congress should pay attention to rising optimistic voices from Ankara and Yerevan toward rapprochement, according to a Newsweek article.
The article "How to End a Genocide Debate" noted that that since 1984, the U.S. Armenian lobby pursue the same course of action in what the author called the "Armenian Genocide Resolution Spectacular." According to this "historical plotline," first the U.S. Armenian lobby convinces a few U.S. congressmen to sponsor a resolution recognizing the Armenian claims of "genocide". Next the Turkish government steps in saying that Turkey is too important to be insulted in this way, followed by the U.S. administration "recognizing that Turkey is indeed a critical NATO ally whose Incirlik Air Base is vital to the Iraq mission," and then "twisting congressional arms to abandon the resolution." In the meantime, the Israeli lobby keen to boost Turkish-Israeli relations --although not so much this year -- noted the author, works against the resolution. Finally Congress "reluctantly shelves the whole thing and the curtain falls."
Progress possible Â
The article said this year, however, there was a new twist in the plot: diplomatic efforts between Turkey and Armenia. "Progress has been possible because the Armenians have focused on the concrete issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border and both sides have wisely avoided the genocide dispute surely recognizing it will have to be dealt with eventually but that developing economic ties will make it easier to do so," the article argued.
The Armenian diaspora, however, has been insistently lingering in the background. As no Turkish government will be able to consider opening the Armenian border with the "genocide" claims front and center, Congress should realize that such a resolution would block any attempt of normalization between the two countries, Newsweek wrote.
Common ground
"To those aiming for reconciliation, two questions outrank it: what common facts can Turks and Armenians be brought to accept, and is the common ground sufficient for both sides to start binding up the wounds," said the article, noting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s proposal to establish a joint historical commission should be pursued.
The U.S. Congress could help reconciliation "if it is willing to deny the Armenian-American lobby the instant gratification of a genocide resolution. Doing so would be far better than repeating the exercises of the last 25 years over and over again until a resolution finally passes and all the House's leverage over Turkey evaporates, along with most of the goodwill in the Turkish-American alliance, and maybe even the alliance itself," said the article.
Good relations between Turkey and Armenia would further U.S. objectives in the Caucasus, noted Newsweek. "The proposed hydrocarbon corridor through the Caucasus looks much more secure in the context of Turkish-Armenian friendship and it might give Armenia the confidence to break with the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute."
The article "How to End a Genocide Debate" noted that that since 1984, the U.S. Armenian lobby pursue the same course of action in what the author called the "Armenian Genocide Resolution Spectacular." According to this "historical plotline," first the U.S. Armenian lobby convinces a few U.S. congressmen to sponsor a resolution recognizing the Armenian claims of "genocide". Next the Turkish government steps in saying that Turkey is too important to be insulted in this way, followed by the U.S. administration "recognizing that Turkey is indeed a critical NATO ally whose Incirlik Air Base is vital to the Iraq mission," and then "twisting congressional arms to abandon the resolution." In the meantime, the Israeli lobby keen to boost Turkish-Israeli relations --although not so much this year -- noted the author, works against the resolution. Finally Congress "reluctantly shelves the whole thing and the curtain falls."
Progress possible Â
The article said this year, however, there was a new twist in the plot: diplomatic efforts between Turkey and Armenia. "Progress has been possible because the Armenians have focused on the concrete issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border and both sides have wisely avoided the genocide dispute surely recognizing it will have to be dealt with eventually but that developing economic ties will make it easier to do so," the article argued.
The Armenian diaspora, however, has been insistently lingering in the background. As no Turkish government will be able to consider opening the Armenian border with the "genocide" claims front and center, Congress should realize that such a resolution would block any attempt of normalization between the two countries, Newsweek wrote.
Common ground
"To those aiming for reconciliation, two questions outrank it: what common facts can Turks and Armenians be brought to accept, and is the common ground sufficient for both sides to start binding up the wounds," said the article, noting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s proposal to establish a joint historical commission should be pursued.
The U.S. Congress could help reconciliation "if it is willing to deny the Armenian-American lobby the instant gratification of a genocide resolution. Doing so would be far better than repeating the exercises of the last 25 years over and over again until a resolution finally passes and all the House's leverage over Turkey evaporates, along with most of the goodwill in the Turkish-American alliance, and maybe even the alliance itself," said the article.
Good relations between Turkey and Armenia would further U.S. objectives in the Caucasus, noted Newsweek. "The proposed hydrocarbon corridor through the Caucasus looks much more secure in the context of Turkish-Armenian friendship and it might give Armenia the confidence to break with the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute."