Turkey urges US panel to reject resolution recognizing Armenian killings as genocide
By APMonday, March 1, 2010
Turkey urges no vote in US on Armenia genocide
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey is urging members of a U.S. congressional panel to reject a resolution that would recognize the World War I-era killings of Armenians as genocide.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement issued Monday says the resolution would harm Turkish-U.S. ties and hamper the reconciliation process between Turkey and Armenia.
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee is set to consider the issue Thursday. A positive vote would clear the resolution to be considered by the full House.
Many scholars view the killings by Ottoman Turks as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey rejects that.
The Turkish statement calls on Congress to be aware of the damage the resolution would cause and to “act with responsibility.”
