Today's Zaman: Armenian diaspora pressing for Genocide recognition

PanARMENIAN.Net - Since U.S. President Barack Obama was elected in November, analysts have cautioned, in reference to Ankara's expectations of the Obama administration, that the new White House team would also have certain expectations from its transatlantic ally.



On Monday a White House statement announced that Obama had spoken to both President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The statement particularly noted that in both calls the leaders discussed "the U.S. review on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy," as well as "U.S. support for the growing Turkish-Iraqi relationship" and "the importance of cooperation in Middle East peace efforts."



In Ankara, during a press conference on Wednesday, Erdogan said that he and Obama also discussed the Armenian Genocide issue.



While neither Erdogan nor Gul mentioned Afghanistan in their statements regarding their talks with Obama, the U.S. didn't mention the Armenian Genocide in its own.



The wording of both sides' statements has been read as declarations of priority for each side in their bilateral relations.



Some observers in Ankara claim that the probability of a change in Turkey's strong determination to send combat troops to Afghanistan could come on the agenda, given the fact that April 24, the day the White House traditionally issues a statement on the Armenian Remembrance Day, is approaching and the Armenian diaspora has already started pressing American legislators to bring a Genocide resolution to the U.S. Congress floor, Today's Zaman reports.