Ross Wilson: I believe Turkey Should Open Border with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and George Allen (R-VA) questioned U.S. Ambassador to Turkey nominee Ross Wilson on Turkey's state-sponsored denial of the Armenian Genocide during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, the Armenian Assembly of America reported. Senator Sarbanes submitted additional questions for the record on Monday, as did Senators Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) and George Voinovich (R-OH). Allen, who chaired the November 9 hearing, said Turkey's genocidal legacy is a major issue and stressed that the lessons of the past must be remembered in order to prevent future crimes. Sarbanes, for his part, questioned Turkey's alleged reform laws that criminalize speech on the Armenian Genocide and have led to the indictment of Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Wilson, a former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, testified that he supports U.S. policy which recognizes that crimes against Armenians occurred during World War I and encourages the Turkish and Armenian governments to engage in dialogue. He also said that from Turkey's standpoint, the charges against Pamuk stand in contrast to the country's democratic ideals and added that Turkish citizens must be able to exercise their right to free speech.



On November 14, Sarbanes submitted written questions to Wilson on issues ranging from Ankara's ongoing efforts to isolate Armenia to the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious property in Turkey. Sarbanes asked Wilson if he supports the construction on an approximately $800 million rail line connecting Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan that would bypass Armenia. Sarbanes added that the aim of the costly project is to isolate Armenia by enhancing the ongoing

Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades to keep the existing Turkey-Armenia-Georgia rail line shut down. "The U.S. government....has not provided any financial backing for such a railway," Wilson answered. "As I indicated in my testimony, I believe that Turkey should open its border with Armenia," Wilson continued. "I also believe the United States should continue encouraging regional integration that includes all countries of the Caucasus. Removing trade barriers would improve regional integration and enhance economic cooperation and development."