A fresh and completely unexpected controversy with the potential of far-reaching consequences seems to have erupted between the United States and its NATO ally Turkey after a bill, recognising the massacre of millions of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in the early twentieth century as genocide, cleared the House of Foreign Affairs Committee in the US Congress.
Turkey never recognises the massacre as a genocide citing inter-ethnic conflicts as the foremost reasons behind the killings. Turkish sentiments run deep when it comes to the Armenian issue and this partial recognition by the Democrats dominated US congress of the elimination of an influential Armenian minority community during the first world war will not go down well with the Turkish leadership in Ankara.
Turkey have already issued a strong protest overnight disputing the congressional voting. Turkey being a secular Muslim nation, where strict Islamic practice is banned, is a key ally in President George W Bush’s war on terror and an important global player. With Turkey regularly contributing its armed forces (being a NATO member) in international conflicts, its a major concern for the Bush regime in Washington which was always against the vote and has already come up with a statement terming the vote as “disappointing” to somewhat diffuse the situation.
But things do not end here. If the vote is finally approved by the US congress, the situation may take a different turn harming long term US-Turkey relations.
With the American armed forces overly stretched in Iraq and some neighbouring Turkish bases acting as a lifeline to those forces, it could be a different story altogether if the final round of voting gets through. Turkey may stop those bases from being used by the Americans plunging the US marines into further trouble. Furthermore, Turkey, a future EU candidate, could be a different kettle of fish for the Americans to deal with in international matters if the vote is passed, which nonetheless would delight the Armenians who then can ask for a huge compensation from the Turks.
