Fried warns Congress about Turkey's possible response to Armenian bill

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried warned Congress yesterday against passing a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, saying the move could result in Turkey closing the İncirlik air base that is used by the U.S. military.



The senior State Department official, told a hearing of a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Europe that Turkish officials have informed the U.S. that approval of the resolution could lead to a shutdown of the base or a restriction on U.S. overflight privileges granted by Turkey. He also said the U.S. has been informed that Ankara would respond with "extreme emotion" if the Armenian resolution were approved.



He added the U.S. fears was that "passage of any such resolution would close minds and harden hearts." At the same time, Daniel Fried regarded the events happened in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as massacre.



Robert Wexler, Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee and the U.S.-Turkey Friendship group also underlined that anti-American mood increased in Turkey and if genocide draft is adopted U.S. adversaries will increase. Joseph Ralston, the U.S. special envoy for countering the PKK and Daniel Fata, Pentagon representative said that cold relations with Turkey will influence on U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, reports APA.