US House Republican majority could be to advantage of Turkey, expert says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Having a Republican majority in the United States House of Representatives following the midterm elections on Nov. 2 will not directly influence US foreign policy but indirectly could be to the advantage of Turkey as far as the Armenian issue goes, according to an American expert.

Bruce Jackson, president of the Project on Transitional Democracies based in Washington, D.C., noted that after an intense election, the leaders of both parties will be reluctant to engage in international activism, such as recognizing the Armenian Genocide. “The incoming House Republicans generally believe that passing the H. Res. 252 is not the foreign policy of the United States,” he said.

“Passing an Armenian resolution is not the foreign policy of the United States. It’s the agenda of a domestic pressure group. It does not enjoy support in either Democratic or Republican foreign policy circles. Is the US Congress going to offer a verdict on the Crusades next time?” Jackson said when replying to questions for Sunday’s Zaman at the Nov. 5-7 Halifax International Security Forum in Canada.

He added that President Barack Obama would veto the resolution if it were to be passed by Congress in any case. “There is a constitutional and presidential aversion to passing whimsical, inflammatory resolutions that are destructive to [the] international system just because it makes you feel good. It is not the role of the Congress or the president,” he said. “When Turkey will come to terms with its history, it should be done by the Turkish people themselves. Coming to terms with history cannot be imposed from the outside.”

“We are extremely interested in Turkey-Armenia reconciliation, which would open Europe and its institutions to Armenia. And reconciliation also gives us a shot at finally addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Jackson said.