Armenian, Greek, and Kurdish Americans Voice Concern to Nine Jewish American Groups

WASHINGTON, DC--The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has joined with the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) in expressing their collective reservations regarding a December letter signed by nine major Jewish American organizations praising Turkey unconditionally and calling upon President Bush to provide additional economic and military aid to the Turkish government.

The joint Armenian-Greek-Kurdish letter, dated February 13, 2002, includes a point-by-point response to a series of fundamental errors and important omissions in the letter signed by the nine Jewish American groups. The letter points out that the Jewish groups decision to avoid any reference of Turkey's past genocides and ongoing human rights abuses, "appears to represent a retreat from the Jewish American community's proud tradition of standing up for human rights, universal values, and the cause of international justice." It also challenges the assertion by these nine groups that "additional American support for Turkey," in the form of "debt forgiveness, trade concessions, and/or further International Monetary Fund relief," will serve either US interests or advance American values.

"In turning a blind eye to Turkey's genocidal past and ongoing human rights abuses, these organizations are out of step with the Jewish American community's proud tradition of moral leadership, and, sadly, in sharp contrast to the warm relations that have always characterized the Jewish community's relations at the grassroots level with Greeks, Armenians, and other minorities," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.

"We are especially disappointed that the representatives of these groups, by advocating so aggressively and uncritically for an unrepentant perpetrator of genocide, threaten to undermine a strong Jewish-Armenian relationship that has endured for thousands of years, and that has, in the past century, been so tragically but also powerfully reinforced by our common experience as victims of genocide, who must now confront the denial of these terrible atrocities."

The nine Jewish American organizations that cosigned the plea for US assistance to Turkey were the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith International, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, and Orthodox Union.

The fallout continued in Armenia from a highly charged statement by Israeli Ambassador Rivka Cohen in which she downplayed the significance of the Genocide. During a press conference in Yerevan, Cohen argued that the "Holocaust was a unique phenomenon, since it had always been planned and aimed to destroy the whole nation. At this stage nothing should be compared with Holocaust."

The Armenian Foreign Ministry responded to these remarks by issuing a diplomatic note of protest arguing that Armenia considers any attempt to reject or belittle the significance of the Genocide as inadmissible. According to the Armenian government, Armenia has never drawn specific parallels between the Genocide and the Holocaust, considering any crime against the human race "unique" with its political, legal, historical, and moral consequences.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to Yerevan's concerns stating that, "Israel recognizes the tragedy of the Armenians and the plight of the Armenian people. Nevertheless, the events cannot be compared to genocide, and that does not in any way diminish the magnitude of the tragedy." The Israeli Foreign Ministry, consistent with the Turkish government's strategy of endlessly deferring judgment on the Genocide, argued that there was a lack of evidence of the Genocide, stating that, "this issue requires extensive research by a wide spectrum of people and academic dialogue that are based on testimony and proof."

In the US House of Representatives, Congressional Turkish Caucus co-chair Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduced legislation "commending the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel for the continued strengthening of their political, economic, cultural, and strategic partnership and for their actions in support of the war on terrorism." The legislation, H.Con.Res.327, introduced on February 12, currently has six co-sponsors including Representatives Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Mark Foley (R-FL), Tom Lantos (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), and Ed Whitfield (R-KY).

Rep. Wexler is leading a Congressional delegation to Turkey, which is scheduled to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Speaker of the Parliament Omer Izgi, and other Turkish officials. Rep. Wexler also plans on meeting with religious leaders of the Greek, Armenian, and Jewish communities. Joining Wexler on the trip are fellow Congressional Turkish Caucus members Kay Granger (R-TX), James Moran (D-VA), Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Tom Tancredo (R-CO).

Other legislation, H.Con.Res.265, introduced by Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) in November, praises Turkey for its role in the US-led war on terrorism. This resolution currently has 30 cosponsors.