US Congressman James P. Moran from Virginia promised to Azeri Diaspora members that he will carefully weigh the consequences of any resolution considered in the Congress regarding Turkey’s past.
“We should keep in mind that, after decades of enmity and isolation, Turkey and Armenia took halting steps to reconcile in recent years. An unwelcome intervention from the U.S. Congress could halt that process at a time when relatively strong economic growth in the region represents a real opportunity to reduce poverty and social exclusion in both countries”, said Congressman, in his letter to the Diaspora members concerning new legislative efforts by Armenians to recognize the events of 1915 in Turkey as “genocide”, the Congressman’s Office told.
“I agree that such efforts are problematic”, the Congress member mentioned adding, the US Congress should consider that Turkey’s government has pursued policies that are enormously helpful in fostering positive relationships in the Mediterranean region and the world.
“Turkey’s abundant contributions to the NATO alliance, its diplomatic assistance during the Libya crisis, and its hospitality to thousands of Syrians fleeing upheaval in that country all underscore the positive role Turkey plays in world affairs. This orientation should be encouraged and rewarded by the US Congress, not punished”, he noted.
According to the Congressman, today, Turkey is a modernizing country seeking to break long-standing traditions of orthodoxy and conservatism. New voices are being heard in Turkish society that are already helping the country to come to grips with the dark period at the close of the Ottoman era. “This is a delicate process, and the passage of resolutions like those you mentioned about could derail it”.
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