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Turkey may recall envoy if U.S. "genocide" bill passes
Turkey is open to all options including the recall of its ambassador if a U.S. congressional panel votes to label a 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide, a government official said on Thursday.NATO-member Turkey has said its ties with the United States would be damaged and Ankara's efforts to normalize relations with Armenia could be endangered if the resolution is passed when U.S. lawmakers vote on Thursday. "We are open to all options," said a government official when asked if Turkey would be willing to recall its ambassador to the United States should the bill be passed. Ankara recalled its ambassador in 2007 for consultations after a U.S. panel approved a similar bill. "But nobody should forget that the situation is different now than it was in 2007. We are in the process of normalizing ties with Armenia, so the stakes are higher," he said. Turkey and Armenia signed a protocol last year to normalize relations but the papers are yet to pass through the parliament of either country. Posted by: ed 2010-03-04 |
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