2008 Woodie Awards
Genocide bill disrupts U.S.-Turkish relations
by Elan Ronen
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News
Support for a resolution which would recognize the mass killings of Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as a genocide disintegrated this week when 11 members of Congress retracted their sponsorship of the legislation.
The resolution, championed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and backed by 214 House members as of Thursday, was repudiated by President George Bush and many other members of Congress for being against the United States' best interests, specifically its bonds with NATO ally Turkey whose country serves as a staging ground for U.S. military missions into neighboring Iraq.
"The Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the deportation of nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed," states the first clause of the resolution.
Modern-day Turkey gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923.
Meredith Sullivan, spokeswoman for Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.) said Friday that Castle was "concerned" about the resolution but did not say whether he supported or opposed it.
"He thinks it could endanger our troops in the Middle East by provoking a key ally," Sullivan said. "Honoring those that were killed may endanger those that are living."
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Joe Biden (D-Del.) declined to comment but Carper made his opposition to the bill known on WDEL last Thursday.
"I don't know that it corrects what happened all those 90 or so years ago," Carper said. "But I know that it would create headaches for us - with respect to our involvement in Iraq that could endanger our troops and make a difficult undertaking all the more difficult, and I don't think it's worth it."
Elizabeth Chouldjian, communications director for the Armenian National Committee of America, said the Turkish government has denied the genocide for 92 years and its well-paid lobbyists are in part to blame for the resistance the resolution has faced.
The resolution, championed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and backed by 214 House members as of Thursday, was repudiated by President George Bush and many other members of Congress for being against the United States' best interests, specifically its bonds with NATO ally Turkey whose country serves as a staging ground for U.S. military missions into neighboring Iraq.
"The Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the deportation of nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed," states the first clause of the resolution.
Modern-day Turkey gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923.
Meredith Sullivan, spokeswoman for Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.) said Friday that Castle was "concerned" about the resolution but did not say whether he supported or opposed it.
"He thinks it could endanger our troops in the Middle East by provoking a key ally," Sullivan said. "Honoring those that were killed may endanger those that are living."
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Joe Biden (D-Del.) declined to comment but Carper made his opposition to the bill known on WDEL last Thursday.
"I don't know that it corrects what happened all those 90 or so years ago," Carper said. "But I know that it would create headaches for us - with respect to our involvement in Iraq that could endanger our troops and make a difficult undertaking all the more difficult, and I don't think it's worth it."
Elizabeth Chouldjian, communications director for the Armenian National Committee of America, said the Turkish government has denied the genocide for 92 years and its well-paid lobbyists are in part to blame for the resistance the resolution has faced.
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