U.S. tries to keep Turkey in its orbit, even through lies and incompetence

PanARMENIAN.Net - However, in response to a written inquiry from Senator Robert Menendez about how many of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 on the territory of present-day Turkey are still operating today as churches, the U.S. diplomat answered: “Most of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 are still operating as churches.” The statement is once again dictated by the policy of the U.S. State Department, which still considers Turkey an important strategic ally in the Middle East, and is reluctant to spoil relations with it. This statement also clearly fits into the pattern of declarations of the U.S. presidential candidates promising to recognize the Armenian Genocide and successfully forgetting about their promises, once settled in the White House. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sharply criticized the “recess” ambassador and compelled him to apologize, which Ricciardone did, asserting that his ignorance of the fact was a purely technical mistake. However, fact of the matter remained unchanged, since even in his latest statement the diplomat stayed true to his unconditional support for Ankara’s denial policy. “Most of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 are no longer operating as churches. Many churches do not offer services due to insufficient clergy, others have fallen into disrepair or have been converted into mosques,” ambassador’s corrected response read. It seems the diplomat has “forgotten” about the destruction of architectural monuments – not only Armenian, but also Greek, Assyrian and Catholic. The website of Asbarez daily gives the list of Armenian and Greek churches that have survived to our days, but no divine service is provided in them; the churches are in bad shape. The list includes 60 Armenian and 75 Greek churches, not to mention the numerous Armenian and Greek schools, which no longer exist. Most of the destroyed churches were recorded in the vilayet of Van - 322, Mush - 148, Sivas - 110, Trabzon - 89, Erzurum - 65, Tunceli - 93... There were churches and chapels in almost every village of Western Armenia.

“Ambassador Ricciardone's demonstrably false assertion betrays a callous disregard for Ottoman Turkey's wholesale destruction of Christian churches, and for the fate of the millions of Christians faithful, who worshipped in their homeland within these holy sites until their genocidal annihilation,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “Whether his response is due to a truly remarkable lack of awareness or, instead, to a willful distortion of the facts of history to fit Ankara's genocide denial narrative, this nominee has clearly shown he's unable to effectively advance U.S. interests or American values as our nation's representative in Ankara.” But, judging by the events in Libya and Syria, it should be noted that the ambassador pictures the U.S. interests in Turkey quite well. Democracy and human rights, as practice shows, end where national interests begin. But Washington now needs Muslim support which she so rashly lost due to the fall of Hosni Mubarak. After all, Egypt and not Turkey was a staunch U.S. ally in the Arab world, and a fairly reliable one, unlike Turkey.

The issue of confirmation of the ambassadors to Turkey and Azerbaijan is still in the U.S. Senate and a new hearing may still be held. The latest statements of Francis Ricciardone will hardly add to his credit and to a quick confirmation of his candidacy, but if the Obama administration decides that he should be the one representing the United States in Turkey, so will it be. Although the case with Richard Hoagland, whom the senators did not approve as the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, should remind diplomats that the President’s decision is not a final say, especially in a country like the United States.