Sooner or later Turkey will have to face Yawn al-Akhina

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Official Ankara is bothered that the Resolution issue has not disappeared from the agenda for good,” according to the Associated Press, said Government spokesman and State Minister Cemil Cicek. “We don't find it right that this issue is used as a torture tool over us.” Specifically, Ankara cannot or is reluctant to understand that the question of the Armenian Genocide is not used against Turkey. Just she has to bear responsibility for her own atrocity, the more so as the country’s ruling elite believes that Turkey professes neo-Ottomanism.

As it usually happens in such cases, there also occur some funny incidents. Thus, member of Turkey’s support, Congressman William Delaat of Massachusetts issued a letter called “Dear Colleagues”, which urges congressmen to vote against the Resolution. The letter states that recognition of the Armenian Genocide would slap the U.S. national interests in the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as would harm the process of normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel. According to the Congressman, cooperation with Turkey would help the U.S. pull the economy out of recession.

What the Balkans, the Middle East and especially Afghanistan come to do here is very difficult to understand. And where does Israel come in? Is it because Ankara fears the Jewish lobby, which has not been so willing to support Turkey since last year, when Erdogan accused Israel of the operation “Cast Lead”, and later on of the attack on Mavi Marmara? Israel and Resolution 252 are so far apart that the imagination of the American congressman can only be envied and surprised at, denying his common sense. However, one should not try to find logic where there is none. And there is only one logic in this issue: the longer the adoption of the resolution is delayed by the House of Representatives, the more ways Turkey will gain to put pressure on Washington. But no matter how much the Turks summon up courage, the “sword of Damocles” will always be hanging over Turkey. Moreover, it may break loose at any moment and then Turkey will actually be left with nothing.

The most important thing about this resolution is not that the U.S. recognizes the Armenian Genocide; in fact, she recognized it long ago. The main thing is that afterwards the process of material and moral compensation is to start, and this is what Turkey truly fears. Undeniably, the current well-being of the country is based on Armenian money. And not only the well-being; even the presidential palace Çankaya in Ankara belonged to the Armenians. However, we should not magnify the U.S. commitment to universal values. Washington’s foreign policy is based primarily on pragmatism and the Armenian-American community knows it best. Whether the resolution will be put to vote or not is not that important. All the parties will be speaking about their diplomatic successes, Congressman Adam Schiff will introduce the resolution into the new Congress... How long it will last is a question no one can answer. Apparently, it is going to be endless. This is the situation we have.

“If the Armenian Genocide Resolution fails to pass in the House of Representatives, it stands a better chance to be adopted in 2011. The 111th Congress is mostly comprised of Republicans who are disappointed with Turkey’s current policy. There were 8 votes less than needed in 2009. If these votes are secured this year, the resolution will pass. However, we should not pin great hopes on today’s vote,” says director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at RA NAS Ruben Safrastyan.