Presidents of Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA) issued a joint statement to thank members of Turkish American community on their effort to prevent Armenian resolution to come to the floor vote. The message is as follows;
As Presidents of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA), we thank the Turkish American community for a tremendous grassroots effort to defeat H.Res. 252, aka the Armenian Resolution.
You, the New Turkish American;
- sent in thousands of emails and faxes to your Congressional Members and called them to make sure they heard the voice of reason;
- defended the dignity of your heritage and the truth of history;
- ensured peace, happiness and prosperity for all; and,
- made sure that the door of peaceful and honest resolution stayed open.
We express special thanks to the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA), lead by President Lincoln McCurdy, who helped empower ATAA's and FTAA's grassroots program, including over 250 local Turkish American organizations nationwide and thousands of activists. We thank the Turkish and Turkish American press for accurate reporting and getting the word out.
Since 1915, there have been twelve U.S. legislative measures. Six have succeeded, as they did not levy the charge of genocide. H.Res. 252 was the sixth to fail. Last March's 23-22 vote in House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), and the votes of prior HVACs on the Armenian Resolution, demonstrate an awakening conscious in America that the events of 1915 constitute a historical controversy and that a legislature is not the proper place to resolve what is in essence a historical and legal question.
There are many lawsuits against Turkey, Turkish institutions and companies that did business in the Ottoman Empire. They rely on the laws of California. But the laws of California conflict with federal law, which is the supreme law of the land. Therefore, we expect that these lawsuits will fail for this and other reasons, eventually. The decision of the 111th Congress not to voice an opinion on the Armenian matter, preserved the integrity of the policy of the Executive Branch not to characterize the events of 1915 as genocide.
The years ahead will be a challenge, as it is not easy being a Turk. It is a passion!
We are confident in the Turkish American community. You, Turkish Americans, are wise souls, hard workers, fast learners, and born leaders. It is an honor to work with you and to serve you.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
