Turkey says U.S. Armenian bill would hurt ties

[cal04]

Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Saturday a planned U.S. bill branding the mass killings of Armenians during World War One as genocide would set back Turkish-American ties and hurt U.S. interests.

A bill recognizing the killings of as many as 1.5 million Armenians on what is now Turkish soil in 1915 as genocide is currently before the House of Representatives in Washington.

"(This bill) will endanger (U.S.) security interests," Gul said in a televised speech on his return from a week-long trip to the United States, without specifying how.

"Damage to relations would be permanent."

Turks fear the bill will pass through Congress under its new Democratic leadership.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070210/pl_nm/turkey_bill_dc_1

[Journeyman]

1. Then let them present evidence to refute these "holocaust affirmers". . .

If there's truth in a position, then it should be capable of withstanding all assaults and able to prevail in open debate -- be it the Belgian Attrocities in 19th Century Congo, the Armenian slaughter during the Great War, Stalin's Dekulakization in the middle '30s, the Shoah, or the Killing Fields of Cambodia.

By definition, free speech cannot be free if its restricted in the least.

[Posteritatis]

2. Where's my really, really small violin? (nt)

[Eurobabe]

3. My kids are Armenian

Watch ARARAT, and you'll have no doubt about the validity of this.

I am going to look up the House Res. and prod my reps to vote yes on this as an act of genocide. I have no beef against Turkey, but they need to acknowledge this and take their lumps, quit shoving it under the rug and denying it.

[Flagg]

4. Turkey sang the same song with France

[Vidar]

5. 90 years late & still in denial.