Turkey condemns US House committee's passage of Armenian "genocide" resolution

Immediately after a US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee yesterday narrowly passed a resolution calling on the US government to officially recognize the so-called Armenian "genocide" claims, Turkey recalled its newly appointed Ambassador Namik Tank for consultations. In an official statement, President Abdullah Gul expressed his deep sorrow over the resolution's passage. "This decision is not a reasonable one," he said. "I strongly condemn it. It means nothing to the Turkish people. Turkey will not be responsible for the negative fallout in various areas from passage of this resolution, which is both biased and divorced from the historical truth, including ongoing efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Caucasus. This resolution is unworthy of Turkish-US ties." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also sharply criticized passage of the resolution. "We condemn this resolution, which charges the Turkish nation with a crime that it did not commit," he said in a statement. He added that he is seriously concerned that the non-binding resolution could harm Turkish-US ties and efforts by Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia to bury a century of hostility. Prior to the vote, Turkey warned that its ties with the US could be damaged and Ankara's efforts to normalize relations with Armenia could be harmed, even though the resolution is non-binding. Turkey insists that World War I-era incidents should be examined by historians using scientific tools and archives, not by lawmakers and parliaments. "Influenced by political motives, supporters of this resolution have taken a wrong and unjust stance, ignoring historical facts and the differences of opinion among experts," the statement said. "The resolution includes tangible errors related to the incidents of 1915, and it reflects a wholly one-sided approach."