One of the WikiLeaks documents published by Turkish Taraf newspaper says leader of Nationalist Movement party Devlet Bahceli challenged President Obama to recognize so called Armenian Genocide, according to the report of News.am.
“His challenge to the U.S. to finally put the Armenian genocide issue to rest reflects a wide perception that genocide is being used as a political tool,” reads the cable classified by Ambassador James Jeffrey.
“A large swathe of Turkish society believes that the US intends eventually to declare the events of 1915 to constitute genocide, but maintains the fiction of debate as leverage in negotiations with the Turkish government.
Bahceli’s challenge is also undeniably self-serving; the MHP stands to benefit most at the polls from the emotional reaction that a U.S. recognition of an Armenian genocide would bring. He would lead the charge to trash relations with the U.S. were we to use the term “genocide.” He has been trying to make political hay, claiming the President’s use of “Meds Yeghern” equates
to “genocide” ever since the President’s Armenian Remembrance Day message,” the document reads.
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