Turkey: “The Democrats Are Harming The Future Of The United States”

October 12th, 2007 Post From Pat Dollar’s Blog

Analysts say Turkey could be less restrained about defying the United States in an invasion of Kurdistan because of a congressional committee’s approval of a resolution labeling the mass killings of Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide.

“Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments,” Erdogan said. Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives support the resolution.

Erdogan said Turkey was ready to sacrifice good ties with Washington if necessary.

“Let it snap from wherever it gets thin,” Erdogan said, using a Turkish expression that means breaking ties with someone or something.

At issue in the resolution is the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated, and those killed were victims of civil war and unrest that killed Muslims as well as the overwhelmingly Christian Armenians.

Turkey, a key supply route to U.S. troops in Iraq, recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and warned of serious repercussions if Congress passes the resolution.

“In the United States, there are several narrow-minded legislators who can’t think of their own interests and who cannot understand the importance of Turkey,” said Murat Mercan, head of the Turkish parliament’s foreign relations committee.

Turkish authorities have refused to comment on whether Turkey might shut down Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, a major cargo hub for U.S. and allied military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Iskenderun is also used to ferry goods to American troops.

The Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to the Turkish government, said Friday that Incirlik and $15 billion worth of defense contracts, including purchase of warplanes, missile and radar systems, could be reviewed. Turkey could also prevent U.S. firms from taking part in new contracts, Yeni Safak said. Continued Please Click Here

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