Turkey warns US over Armenian genocide vote

[March 05, 2010]  ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey warned the Obama administration on Friday of negative diplomatic consequences if it doesn't impede a U.S. resolution branding the World War I-era killing of Armenians genocide.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey, a key Muslim ally of the U.S., would assess what measures it would take, adding that the issue was a matter of "honor" for his country.

A U.S. congressional committee approved the measure Thursday. The 23-22 vote sends the measure to the full House of Representatives, where prospects for passage are uncertain. Minutes after the vote, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to the U.S.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

President Barack Obama's administration had been silent about the resolution until shortly before the vote when it said it opposed its passage. Turkey wants stronger action to block the resolution.

"The picture shows that the U.S. administration did not put enough weight behind the issue," Davutoglu told reporters. "We are seriously disturbed by the result."

"We expect the U.S. administration to, as of now, display more effective efforts. Otherwise the picture ahead will not be a positive one," he said. He complained of a lack of "strategic vision" in Washington.

The measure was approved at a time when Washington is expected to press Turkey to back sanctions against Iran to be approved in the U.N. Security Council, where Turkey currently holds a seat. Turkish cooperation also is important to U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also at stake are defense contracts. Turkey is an important market for U.S. defense companies, many of which had lobbied against the measure.

"We have had good cooperation with the U.S. administration at all levels," Davutoglu said. "We would expect our contributions not to be sacrificed to domestic political games."

Davutoglu said the U.S. ambassador had been called to the Foreign Ministry for talks. The ambassador, James Jeffrey, told reporters the Obama administration was opposed to the measure being voted in the full House.

The foreign minister said Turkey was determined to press ahead with efforts to normalize ties with Armenia, but said Turkey would not be "pressured" into taking any decisions.

He added that the vote had put the ratification of agreements to normalize ties with Armenia at risk.

Last year, Turkey and Armenia agreed to normalize ties by establishing diplomatic relations and reopen their shared border, but the agreements have yet to be approved by their parliaments.

Turkey has been dragging its feet, fearful of upsetting ally Azerbaijan, which balks at any suggestion of the reopening of the border until its own dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh is settled. The region in Azerbaijan has been under Armenian control.

Armenian-American groups have sought congressional affirmation of the killings as genocide for decades and welcomed Thursday's vote.

The genocide issue is one of many obstacles to Turkey's membership in the European Union. Turkey has been struggling to block similar genocide bills in parliaments across the globe.

The U.S. congressional vote came at a time when relations with the United States -- strained by Turkey's refusal to allow its territory to be used for the invasion of Iraq -- had recently improved. Turkey was the first Muslim country Obama visited after taking office.

Davutoglu expressed dismay at the voting process, which was televised live in Turkey, in which the chairman of the committee extended the voting session when the "no" were ahead and appeared to abruptly close the session as soon as the "yes" votes had it.

"The lack of seriousness of the situation shows that such an issue cannot be decided by parliaments," Davutoglu said, reiterating a Turkish proposal for the establishment of committees of historians to settle the issue.

Turkish politicians also criticized the vote.

Murat Mercan, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party who traveled to Washington to lobby U.S. congress members, said Obama intervened too late.

Sukru Elekdag, an opposition party lawmaker said the ratification of agreements to normalize ties with Armenia was now uncertain.

"If (the agreements) come to the (Turkish) Foreign Affairs Committee they may be rejected there," he said.

[Associated Press; By SUZAN FRASER]

Associated Press writer Desmond Butler contributed to this report from Washington.

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