Turkey pulls its ambassador in US over Armenia genocide bill

Turkey recalled its new ambassador to the United States Namik Tan Thursday after the US House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution that labels as genocide the killings of ethnic Armenians by Ottomon Turks following World War I.

The resolution, approved narrowly by the House Foreign Affairs Committee 23-22, calls the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians genocide.

The decision to recognize the historical event as genocide may seem like a minor event, but the issue is one of the most explosive in Washington. Turkey has a strong lobbying presence in Washington to defend them against the accusation of genocide, but the Armenian-American community has been passionate—and persistent—about getting official recognition from the United States government.

The issue has been a perennial one for activists on both sides, and both the Bush and Obama administrations have tried to quiet the Armenian push on this resolution because the U.S. has a critical military presence in Turkey.

The Turkish government said the resolution was filled with historic inaccuracies.

“This decision, which could adversely affect our cooperation on a wide common agenda with the United States, also regrettably attests to a lack of strategic vision,” the Turkish government said in a statement. “As a result of this development we recalled this evening our Ambassador Namik Tan to Ankara for consultations.”

The Obama administration is concerned that the decision could create more tension between the countries. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-Calif.) this week to warn that the move would have international implications—but the committee went ahead anyway.

“We are concerned about its potential impact on our relations with the affected countries,” said Philip Crowley, a state department spokesman.Politico

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  • http://wjawad10@yahoo.com Sam JAwad

    Good for you Turkey! Finally a Muslim leader to be proud of other then the Sayed! (HA! I bet i get some comments about this last remark lol)

  • HD

    JAWAD:IT IS BIG INSULTING TO THE TUTKISH LEADERS WHO ARE HONOST,SINCER AND LOYAL TO THEIR GOVRNMENT WITH DIGNITY TO A THUG,LEADER OF THE GANGESTERS WHO ARE BROOMING THE STREET OF BEIRUT.NO NEED TO TELL U TO HAVE A LIFE;CAUSE U CAN NOT.YOU ALREADY POISINED BY UNCURABLE CANCER.

  • Tarie Al Fanarie

    So Mr. Sam Jawad the issue here is whether the Genocide happened or not? recognizing it happened is part of history and its fair to our community the our armenian people to have Turkey acknowledge its past mistakes. You’re condoning the killing of 1 and 1/2 millions of Amernians and supporting a muslim nation. So is what you call waliet al fagih plurism in Lebanon? Was it ok for you that Turkey killed 1 and 1/2 millions of our people? you always want to distort the facts and forgetting about the main issues here. Of Course current leaders of Turkey are good and noble but the past ones have also armed the Muslims in Lebanon and butchered more than 100,000 christians in Lebanon. So you want to stand by Turkey cause they’re muslims? so how can i trust living next to you and believe that Waliet al Fagih is nothing but combination of Shiite rulers who want not only rule iran, but lebanon and the whole middle east. Go suck an egg man and watch what the heck you saying. Nasrallah is leading you to the wrong path and he is nothing but a monster who does not even care about his own people. After all he was the one who killed imad Muganieh? Imad was called to run the war in Lebanon in 2006 and sayed was to run the political side of it because he was a failure.. the only thing he is good at is scaring people and screaming like a mad man. May you and him rut in hell.

  • HD

    TARIE TARIE TARIE! Talking to Jawad and people like him as u r talking to the wall.When you spit in the face of a rotten people it is blessing to them.

  • Youssef

    and your comments above are the reason why Lebanon will never have peace again….

  • Walid Khouri

    Denying the Armenian GENOCIDE is akin to denying that the Jewish Holocaust ever happened at the hands of the Nazis, like that mentally disturbed Ahmadinejad claims.
    On a side note, I wonder what would have happened to the world if Hitler had his way and eradicated non-Aryan nations, which incidentally Arabs were at the bottom of what he called “filth” right above the colored and blacks. Well it is so very convenient for the Iranian regime to support such claims because they consider themselves Aryans and racially above Arabs.
    So, let us forget what the dominant religion of Turkey is and focus on the fact that Armenians were transplanted in Lebanon AFTER the death march and the genocide that happened at the hands of the Ottomans.
    Let us focus on the fact that Ottomans fought with the axis of evil (Japan, Germany, and Turkey) and that Arab martyr’s fell defending their freedom.
    Let us focus on the historic fact that Fakhr el Diin of the Druze faith fought the Ottomans with everything he had to get them out of Lebanon and that he was exiled to Tuscany and later on captured and his eyes plucked out by the “civilized” Ottomans.
    Let us focus on the fact that the Ottoman rulers of Lebanon handed weapons to the Druze and instigated a blood feud between them and the Maronites that we still in modern Lebanon pay the price of non trust between those two communities because of that Ottoman engineered conflict where Maronites were slaughtered point blank including male infants and toddlers.
    Let us focus on the fact that when the Maronite monks defied the Ottomans and started printing in Arabic script from “Wadi Qannuubiin”, a script that was forbidden, they starved the mountain populace and prevented food supplies to reach them and many succumbed to famine.
    Let us focus on the fact that the Quran is written in Arabic and that the Ottomans forbade the Arabic language to be spoken in an effort to eradicate the Arabic language.
    Let us focus on the fact that out “Statue of Liberty” (Lebanon Martyr’s Square) downtown Beirut represents Lebanese stepping on disgraced Ottomans’ agents.
    Yes, the Armenian genocide did happen and to hide behind your finger and not admit it I say to you that you are no better than those who committed those crimes and that you are far, very far from Islam, and certainly far from God. Hell will be your reward, rest assured of that.

  • Walid Khouri

    Sam
    Is Sam your real name? It sounds Jewish to me. If your parents called you that shame on them.
    Just a piece of news for you. Turkey and their leaders are secular. They are FAR from Islam. Really. Check it out. So being proud of them JUST because they were born in the Moslem faith and yet not practice it is the same like you being proud of your Shiite brothers who are spying for Israel as we speak JUST because they are born in the Shiite faith.
    Checkmate brother!

  • S Jawad

    Some of you are really unbelievable, not once have I disrespected anyone of you, not once did I call you an “Israeli” or other b.s. All I have done and tried to do was have objective debates, sure i don’t agree with some of your stance but I always respected it and you all. I tried to argue through a frame of logic, not emotions, as many have you have resorted to. FACTS! That’s where I have stood, and mind you I have always kept an open mind when listening to logical points and sticking to the FACTS. I must admit I did write my earlier post to simple jest and look how some of you have reacted…I don’t condone anyone’s comments of inciteful or hateful responses be it on my side or yours (read ALL my posts and you will see!). So let me LOGICLY replay to what some of you have said!
    First Walid:

    I won’t comment on your first remark it speaks for itself. I will say this though I currently live in the States (US) and I have political aspiration and to use my full name could latter come back and bit here, as any indivual that’s states anti-Israeli comment in the US, you are immediately labeled anti-Semitic, even though some of my closest friends are Jewish and agree with my points. It’s the kiss of death here in the states. Now you said Turkey is secular, that’s correct sort of… It’s really more anti-Islamic then secular, for example women were forced to take off their scarves if they wished to attend schools, that is not secular that’s anti-freedom of worship, a secular states allows freedom of worship (such as the US) separating church and state is fine, but laws in Turkey were anti-Islamic (see modern history of turkey and founder the atheist Ataturk). You said “They are FAR from Islam” Here is where you are FACTIALLY WRONG: The ruling party is an Islamic party that currently holds the leadership. They have revoked many of the anti-Islamic and anti-freedom or worship laws such as the head scarves ban. They won in a landslide vote running on an Islamic platform (which doesn’t mean they want to install a Sharir type state). If you watch current events there have been arrests made because some in the army were allegedly planning a coup, because of these changes that Edrgon was making. Your reference to “My shite brothers who are spying for Israeli” I have no “F”en idea what you are talking about. Are saying they found shite spies? If that’s what your referring to then GOOD! As I have ALWAYS stated a traitor is a traitor regardless of his faith and deserves the death penalty! I think you somehow see me as one who follows his sect blindly, will if my numerous post didn’t make it clear, let me reiterate it again YOUR WRONG! If the Sayed was a Sunni, or a Christian, I would still stand by him because of his principals, not religion!

    HD Your Turn!
    You are a prime example of someone who speaks with his emotions, where are your facts to back up what you said about me… “Talking to Jawad and people like him as u r talking to the wall” O really, have you debated any of my comments prior to this emotional rant. Have you made an objective argument (as Walid has done in the past and that I’ve agreed with) other then saying HEZb thugs blah blah blah well BACK IT UP! State your argument and I will gladly debate it, if your argument makes sense, then I will happily agree and concede that point to you!

    To Tarie Al Fanarie
    Let me first start off by apologizing if my comments were misunderstood. What I meant was that I stand with Edrgon and I’m proud of ALL Governments (i.e. Brazil) that stand up to the Bullies of the world like Israeli, and the US. That is what I wanted my comment to reflect. NOT THE CONDONING OF A “GENOCIDE”. However, Turkey has refuted the fact of any GENOCIDE, and is currently in peace negotiations with Armenia. Turkey and Edrogen has repeatedly state that they have archeological evidence that’s states otherwise and before people carigtorise it as such, he would like to create a committee that comes from Armenia to look at their evidence that shows otherwise. If Turkeys evidence doesn’t hold, weighed and the FACTS show otherwise then HE will called it a Genocide. This is sensesable, and LOGICAL, what’s wrong with that?!! The man shows wisdom, and humility, and I applaud him for that! Look I know, Turkeys past is muddled with blood, even in Lebanon, and I DONT CONDONE IT BECAUSE THERE MUSLIMS! But concerning this PARTICULAR issue he makes sense! We all know how the West has a habit of rewriting history, such as the rational for the creation of Israel; let’s hear ALL the facts and not just the ones from western history books. Let’s be fair and do our own research, and see what Turkeys evidence maybe. If it doesn’t hold weight, THEN IT WAS GENOCIDE. Again is my rational wrong?? THEN YOUR BROUGHT UP THE NOTION OF “Waliet al Fagih” again I will reiterate for the 4th time what is meant when we say it! I hear time and time again “Wilayat al Faqih” a term that has been so misunderstood (purposely or not). First off, its spiritual meaning has almost the SAME MEANING AS CHRSITIANS HAVE WITH THE POPE! Just as Christians respect the Pope, it doesn’t mean you follow him blindly! For example if the Pope says something like to use condoms are sinful, than will all Catholics and Marionettes, run out tomorrow and stop using condoms??! ! Again The Sayed has stated many times that Hezbollah did not want to take over the country or undermine political institutions. He has stated:
    “I am speaking as Hezbollah – we don’t want power or authority, we don’t want to rule Lebanon, we do not want to impose our thoughts on the Lebanese,” he said.
    “They call us the party of wilayat al-faqih,” he said, referring to accusations that Hezbollah wants to impose an Iranian-style regime in Lebanon.
    “The Lebanon wilayat al-faqih means the Lebanon of diversity and pluralism … we should preserve it as such.”
    So not to following someone or some sect blindly! If any of you wish to debate my points, without inciting bigot or hateful remarks I will gladly oblige. I will NOT try to argue with some one that is emotional, or filled with blind secertarin HATE! I’ve ranted on long enough but again I felt a need to hopefully bring a sense of calmness, and brotherly debate.
    Salem

  • Walid Khouri

    They cannot label you anti-semite because you are semite. :P
    Also, I do not need the Turks evidence to tell me about the genocide because I heard my great grand mother who was Armenian talk about it. Answer me that: Did the Armenians spurt out of a tree in Lebanon? They were definitely kicked out from their country on the dreadful often talked of death march.
    AND at last, you say: “Finally a Muslim leader to be proud of…” Why not say finally a leader to be proud of? Like a Brazilian leader to be proud of. We do not say Finally a Christian Brazilian leader to be proud of for instance.
    You struck a cord when you mixed Moslem with a sensitive topic of a Genocide committed against Christian Armenians as if being a Moslem you took side against the martyrs of Armenia.
    If what you meant is that a country leader stood up against U.S. Hegemony then cheers to you and to the Turks.
    Now let me guess your name. :P is it Salim? lol

  • Sam JAwad

    Well be it for me to argue with your grandma, lol again im not denying the fact that there may have been a genocide, although i would still like to her the Tuks side of this incident and what this “evidence” may be. I said “MUSLIM LEADER” because the sad truth is that there is a lack of good Muslim leaders in the world today and i wanted to emphasize that point. and lastly Slim is not my name lol sorry I would love to disclose it, but id better play it safe ;)

  • Walid Khouri

    It’s the Mossad! lol

  • S JAwad

    lol!!!

  • S JAwad

    It might me the Secular Turks instead!

  • RAFIK

    Truth hurts and the modern Turkish governmeny needs to understand they can not fabricate lies that the first genocide of the century did not happen by them there are all kinds of historical evidence by respected historians missionaries and politicians all over the world, most countries have condemed this barbaric action, USA for political consideration that means most presidents pressure the US congress not to bring this resolution into a vote, even though when they are campaigning all promise to recognise this fact and promise to do so after election. After the Jewish lobby the Armenian lobby is the 2nd strongest in USA so this resolutions will come up always whether Turkey likes it or not ,let them recognise it and move on but it is so rare for a Middle Eastern leader to admit a mistake because they think they are the best thing to people after God. By the way I agree 100% the pointt that were made by Mr.W. Khoury

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