The truth hurts, and provokes fury — a reaction we have seen from Islamic supremacists many times when their full agenda is exposed here. “President Abdullah Gul has warned that ‘Turkey will not be responsible for the negative ramifications’ of the vote.” Yes, that’s a threat.
An update on this story. “Turkey urges US to block ‘genocide’ bill or risk ties,” by Sibel Utku Bila for AFP, March 5 (thanks to Block Ness):
ANKARA (AFP) – A furious Turkey warned of damage to its ties with the US and protesters descended on the American embassy on Friday after a Congressional panel labelled the Ottoman-era massacre of Armenians as genocide.
Having recalled its ambassador immediately after the panel’s resolution was adopted, Ankara warned Washington risked a showdown with a key Muslim ally if the motion advanced to a full vote at the House of Representatives.
Turkey is “seriously disturbed” that President Barack Obama’s administration “did not put enough weight” behind efforts to prevent the resolution from being passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.
“We expect the US administration to make more efficient efforts from now on,” he said.
“We hope Turkish-US ties will not be put to a new test … otherwise, the prospect that we will face will not be a positive one,” he added, calling the issue a “matter of national honour”.
NATO member Turkey is a prominent Muslim partner in US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and Iraq, and lies on a key route taking oil and natural gas to Western markets….
President Abdullah Gul has warned that “Turkey will not be responsible for the negative ramifications” of the vote.
As Turkish anger swelled, a crowd of around 100 demonstrated outside the US embassy in Ankara, laying a black wreath that read “We did not commit genocide, we defended the motherland.”
Protesters chanted anti-US slogans at a similar demonstration in Istanbul….
The non-binding resolution calls on Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the “genocide” and to label the mass killings as such in his annual statement on the issue….
Washington has traditionally condemned the killings, but refrained from calling them a “genocide”, anxious not to strain relations with Turkey.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had urged the committee not to hold the vote for fear it might harm Armenia-Turkey reconciliation.
During a visit to Turkey in April, Obama said he retained his view that the killings amounted to genocide but stressed that reconciliation between the two neighbours was more important.
And he’s so good at reconciliation.