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- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 16 June 2009
- Hits: 16603
With the newest additions of Robert Latta (R-Ohio/5th District), Brian Baird (D-Washington/3rd District), Rodney Alexander (R-Louisiana/5th District), Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas/2nd District) and Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri/3rd District), the Caucus on US-Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans in the US House of Representatives reached its highest membership since its formation and now includes 87 members of Congress. The Turkish Caucus is a bi-partisan platform for members of Caucus to focus on US-Turkish relations and issues that concern Turkish Americans. Many of its members have joined this Caucus due to the efforts of their Turkish American constituents and friends of Turkey.
A full list of the Caucus members can be found at TCA website.
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 10 June 2009
- Hits: 16093
TurkishPAC is organizing a fundraiser for Congresswoman Jean Schmidt in Houston, on June 20th, from 3:00PM to 5:00PM at the Pasha Restaurant. Jean Schmidt, who is the co-chairperson of the Congressional Turkish Caucus, has been working diligently getting our voice heard and supporting the Turkish causes. During the last election period, since she did not agree with and fought against the Armenian "Genocide" claims in the Congress, slander campaigns were carried out against her by her competitor, Ohio candidate David Krikorian. Jean Schmidt won the election and, with our support, sued David Krikorian for making false claims and insulting her and she urgently needs our financial support.
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 02 June 2009
- Hits: 13390
Sacramento, CA - National and grassroots Turkish American associations joined power to defeat California Assembly Bill 961, a proposed law that sought to punish companies who did business in the Ottoman Empire or do who business in Turkey today. The bill was introduced by Armenian Assemblyman Paul Krikorian and supported by nationalists Armenian groups. On the front line were activists from ATAA component organizations, the Turkish American Association of California (TAACA) and the Association of Turkish Americans of S. California (ATASC). Ergun Kirlikovali and Karahan Mete lead over 25 local Turkish Americans to provide statements at the public hearings of the Business and Professions and Judiciary Committees. An elderly Turkish American woman placed roses on the podium for each of her family members who were massacred during the Armenian Revolt (1885-1921), that caused the deaths and displacement of over 600,000 Muslims and Jews in Eastern Anatolia.
Read more: Turkish American Solidarity Defeats Anti-Turkish Bill in California Assembly
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 28 April 2009
- Hits: 14713
TurkishPAC reservedly welcomes President Obama’s avoidance of the term “genocide” in his statement on the occasion of the Armenian Remembrance Day, but deeply regrets his use of the nearly-as-offensive term "Medz Yeghern” to characterize the historical events. President Obama’s statement portrays a one-sided view of the historical events by grossly exaggerating the number of Armenian casualties while not mentioning Moslem, and even Jewish, sufferings. It is hoped that an impartial international commission of scholars, which we understand is envisioned in the road map prepared by the Armenian and Turkish parties in Switzerland, will pave the way for establishing historical truth related to the tragic events that took place nearly a century ago. Turkey has opened all its historical archives, while the Armenian archives remain mostly closed.
TurkishPAC supports President Obama’s call for a dialogue between Turks and Armenians and normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. It is hoped that this will contribute toward a long-term strategic alliance between Turkey and the United States. As outlined in our April 16 announcement, however, TurkishPAC believes that such normalization should be predicated on Armenia withdrawing from the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabagh and renouncing anti-Turkish reference in its constitution and modifying its stance toward Turkey in general.
TurkishPAC regrets that President Obama, while calling attention to the contributions of Americans of Armenian descent to the American society, has omitted a similar attribution to Turkish Americans, whose contributions have been no less significant.
TurkishPAC Board of Directors
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 16 April 2009
- Hits: 15112
In the last several months there has been a softening of Turkish-Armenian relations, and the pace of these developments has gained momentum. TurkishPAC has followed these developments with great interest. All indications to date are that the Turkish Government, under external pressure, is seriously considering opening the Armenia-Turkey border toward normalization of relations between the two countries. Armenia, on the other hand, while viewing such normalization very favorably, appears to make no concessions in return.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has stated that normalization of relations between the two states should have no preconditions, and that Turkey and Armenia has a mutual understanding to that end.
TurkishPAC firmly opposes normalization of the Turkish-Armenian relations without preconditions. It believes that normalization should depend on Armenia's agreeing to certain conditions. In particular, Armenia should:
1. Comply with the UN resolution to withdraw from the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabagh, which it illegally occupies,
2. Drop false “genocide” claims against Turkey that go back almost 100 years and agree to the establishment of a joint committee of historians, as proposed by Turkey, to study and judge the 1915 events. As Turkey has declared it would do so, Armenia should declare that it would consider the findings of such a committee binding.
3. Withdraw its support to the Armenian Diaspora on the latter’s campaign to disseminate “genocide” propaganda, and,
4. Remove indirect reference to a Greater Armenia in its Constitution by amending Article 13 of Chapter 1 that describes its national coat of arms.
With regard to items 3 and 4, note should also be made that in its Declaration of Independence in 1990, Armenia declared its support to false “genocide” claims against Turkey and has referred to Eastern Anatolia as “Western Armenia,” and as such, considers this area as part of Armenia. That is not a friendly posture toward a neighbor.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, disturbed by Turkey’s recent moves, has refused to attend the UN Alliance of Civilizations held in Istanbul recently. TurkishPAC applauds Aliyev’s principled stand. Azerbaijani and Turkish people are two brotherly nations, and Turkey should fully respect Azerbaijani people’s sensitivities.
TurkishPAC has viewed with apprehension press reports that the Turkish Government’s recent gestures toward Armenia without any preconditions is an attempt to forestall the passage of Armenian “genocide” resolution in the US Congress and discourage President Obama from using the word “genocide” on April 24. TurkishPAC firmly believes that the merits of Armenian “genocide” allegations should be judged by historians according to historical facts, not by politicians driven by ethnic interests. Turkish-American relations should not be held hostage to ethnic politics. The value of a strong, lasting Turkish-American partnership is too great to risk by narrow political considerations and gamesmanship.
TurkishPAC Board of Directors
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 06 March 2009
- Hits: 13872
The Washington based ethics monitor, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), filed letters of complaint with several federal agencies against the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) for various lobbying and campaign violations. On February 18, 2009, CREW submitted voluminous materials to the Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Secretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the House.
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 06 March 2009
- Hits: 14547
Professor Türkkaya Ataöv will be on Best TV on March 7, 2009 at 8:30 PM. Best TV will broadcast the program via the web, in addition to DHF. Please click here to access the streaming.
- Written by Administrator
- Category: General Announcements
- Published: 05 March 2009
- Hits: 17238
Posted by Lincoln McCurdy*
NJ Voices Guest Blogger March 02, 2009
blog.nj.com
Recently, a letter seeking cosponsors for a renewed drive to secure the adoption of an "Armenian Genocide Resolution" was circulated on Capitol Hill. The lead authors of the proposed legislation included four members of congress from districts with sizable Armenian constituents. They included Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
Rep. Pallone has turned his office in the U.S. Congress, home also to tens of thousands of New Jerseyans of Turkish descent, into an anti-Turkey nerve center.
Read more: Rep. Frank Pallone and the "Armenian Genocide Resolution"
