Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Washington Still Hopes to Reconcile the Turks and Armenians
by Transcaspian Project
Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2000 02:44 am CST

YEREVAN, Dec 12, 2000 -- (Transcaspian Project) In spite of the fact that the U.S. Congress has postponed for an indefinite period the consideration of the resolution project concerning the recognition of the Armenians genocide in 1915 by Ottoman Turkey at the request of president Bill Clinton, this problem remain in the center of attention of the American politicians and diplomats.

That is explained: contrary to the caution demonstrated by Washington, conforming resolutions were recently adopted by the legislators of many European states allied with the USA. The Vatican has played a considerable role in the recognition of the genocide too. It is difficult to overestimate the moral and psychological value of the given step for shaping a conforming public opinion in the West.

Probably, therefore Washington attempts to correct his position a little bit. Having taken into consideration the Turkish concerns, the USA currently attempts to make Ankara simultaneously revise its approaches regarding the question of adjusting its relationships with Armenia.

As it is known, there are no diplomatic relations between both neighboring countries till now due to the fact that the Turkish party connects the normalization of bilateral relations with the Armenian refusal of supporting the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. Meanwhile, Yerevan insists, based on solid arguments, that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict cannot be the cause of Armenian-Turkish negative conflicts of duties.

It seems that Washington starts sharing this point of view. "Turkey should make a first step and begin conversation with Armenia", - the European director of the U.S. National Security Council Tony Blinken has declared, acting in Washington during the 21st meeting of the Turkish-American associations. Thus Blinken has declared, that "Turkey should extend its arm to Armenia instead of its fist".

The high-ranking Turkish diplomat, present in the meeting, Tansu Okandan has declared that it is difficult for Turkey to make good relations with Armenia, as Armenia stood for the recognition of the resolutions concerning the genocide by the French Senate, the Italian parliament and the European parliament. Okandan also declared that "Armenia has territorial claims to Turkey and has invoked the USA to convince Armenia to refuse similar policy, if Yerevan really wants to normalize its relations with Ankara".

Certainly, there are in Armenia supposing that after a full international recognition of the genocide in 1915 Turkey will have to pay material and territorial compensation. However, this judgement is not predominant, and, besides the Armenian government never presented to Turkey any territorial claims. Yerevan considers, that, as both countries are the members of the United Nations and their borders officially recognized by the international assembly, the territorial problem is not actual, especially - in the light of the developing economical cooperation, which does not simply exist now. All of the facts mentioned above cause a negative effect on the economical life of both parties.

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