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WASHINGTON–The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
this week circulated a memo to Congressional offices
highlighting Turkey’s increasingly stark double-standard in
aggressively challenging U.S. interests while continuing to
dictate to American leaders what they can – and cannot say –
about the Armenian Genocide.
The
memo, sent by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, noted that
“Turkey’s leaders reserve for themselves the freedom to act with
complete disregard for U.S. interests, allies, and values, even
as they dictate to us what we are allowed to say about the
Armenian Genocide.” It closed with a call upon legislators to
reject Turkey’s veto of the Armenian Genocide recognition and
called for the adoption of H.Res.252, the Armenian Genocide
Resolution.
The
ANCA also stressed that Turkey should be the last country to
offer lectures about the conduct of other nations, and listed a
series of seven acts of violence and aggression by Turkish
leaders, both at home and abroad, over the course of more than a
century.
The
full text of the ANCA memo is provided below. Click below for a
link to a PDF version of the actual document: http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/hill_notes/060910.pdf
*****
To:
Foreign Affairs Legislative Aide
From: Aram Hamparian, Executive Director
Date: June 9, 2010
RE:
H.Res.252, the Armenian Genocide Resolution
When
will we reject Turkey’s gag rule on U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide?
Just
a few hours ago Turkey voted against a U.N. Security Council
resolution imposing sanctions on Iran. Over the past few weeks,
Turkey has accused Israel of “state terrorism” and compared the
Gaza flotilla raid to 9-11. Since 2003, when Turkey blocked a
northern front in the war on Iraq, Ankara has lined up –
aggressively and unapologetically – against the United States on
issue after issue.
What
is truly striking is Turkey’s double-standard in its dealings
with our country:
Turkey’s leaders reserve for themselves the freedom to act with
complete disregard for U.S. interests, allies, and values, even
as they dictate to us what we are allowed to say about the
Armenian Genocide.
The
time has long since passed for America to stop outsourcing our
policy on the Armenian Genocide. Please reject Turkey’s veto of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution by calling for the passage of
H.Res.252.
Turkey’s Hypocrisy
Turkey should be the last country to offer lectures about the
conduct of other nations, especially when we consider the record
of violence and aggression by Turkish leaders, both at home and
abroad, over the course of more than a century:
1)
Turkey aggressively denies the Armenian Genocide, pressuring
America to remain silent on this crime, and prosecuting its own
citizens who speak truthfully about this atrocity.
2)
Turkey has been illegally blockading landlocked Armenia since
1993.
3)
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and continues to occupy over a
third of this sovereign nation.
4)
Turkey has destroyed thousands of Kurdish villages, uprooting
millions of Kurds, and denying tens of millions of its own
Kurdish citizens their basic human rights.
5)
Turkey denies the Darfur Genocide and provides arms to the
Sudanese government, led by Omar al-Bashir, who has been
indicted for war crimes.
6)
Turkey continues to impose official restrictions and unofficial
pressure on the Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and Syriac churches
and on other minority religious groups.
7)
Turkey’s leaders foster domestic political support by taking
anti-U.S. and anti-Israel stands: Among the best selling books
in Turkey is Hitler’s Mein Kampf; one of their most popular
films, Valley of the Wolves, features a Turkish nuclear attack
on Washington.
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