The Armenian and other lobbies have once again started their obstructionist campaigns of blocking Ambassadorial nominations to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both AAA and ANCA are on the record doing that. The FTAA and USTN have put forward their sample letter for all Turkish-Americans and Turkic-Americans to send to their Senators.
Dear Senator,
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on President Obama's nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., on August 2 at 2:30 PM. As a Turkish-American, I feel that Amb. Ricciardone, who was recess appointed last year, has been doing an important work in a vital country located in a focal region at a very critical time. It is imperative for us to have an experienced and respected Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, one of our very few strategic ally nations, a democracy and a NATO member, in that critically important region - the Greater Middle East.
Amb. Ricciardone is an expert on the region and has had a long and distinguished career in the State Department, previously served in Turkey, as well as in Iraq, Egypt and other nations. Thus, I am writing to ask you to ensure that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the full Senate confirms Francis J. Ricciardone to continue to serve as our nation's Ambassador to Turkey.
As your constituent, and as an active Turkish-American, being very interested in the blossoming and deepening relations between U.S. and Turkey, and thankful for Turkey's pro-Western status as our strategic ally that made many sacrifices by, among other things, sending its peacekeeping troops to Kosovo and Afghanistan, I recognize that our bilateral relations cannot expand without an active Ambassador who is an expert on the region and can performing his important duties from day one. Especially now, when we are withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, when Greece is in a financial meltdown, when situation in Syria is going from bad to worse, and the Arab Spring underway. Hence, it is a no brainer that I support the nomination of Amb. Ricciardone, and want to see the post of U.S. Ambassador to Turkey being always filled, never vacant for even one day.
Moreover, for many of the issues related to Iran, Armenia, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan as well as Afghanistan, Iraq and others in the Greater Middle East and the former USSR, as well as topics such as energy geopolitics, nuclear non-proliferation, rapid economic development and as an example of a successful secular predominantly Muslim nation, cannot be overstated. The United States simply cannot afford to have the post of U.S. Ambassador vacant in Turkey, or to fall victim of some unreasonable holds. Senate should confirm Amb Ricciardone during the committee hearing on Aug 2 and the subsequent voting on the full floor.
I am aware, and concerned, that some ethnic lobby groups try to derail the nomination of Mr. Ricciardone by pressuring you and other members of the Senate to ask irrelevant, inappropriate, and simply wrong questions during the hearing, that deal with history. It is not history that a U.S. Ambassador should be preoccupied with, instead, he should be busy with trying to help build a great future. Perhaps, they would also attempt to pressure you to place a "hold" on the nomination to stonewall and delay the process. For example, when some bring up Amb Ricciardone's track record on Egypt, one should remember that a leading Egyptian democracy activist is praising this American diplomat. An Egyptian American sociologist and pro-democracy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim told POLITICO in an interview on October 06, 2010 that he strongly endorses former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. to become the U.S. ambassador to Turkey. Likewise, Amb Ricciardone cannot become a spokesman for Armenian lobby's dreams and caprices, and push upon Turkey and other U.S. allies the unworkable and unfair idea of lifting sanctions from Armenia, a country that is occupying 16% of Azerbaijan (another strategic U.S. ally) that resulted in almost one million refugees and displaced. Armenia should also stop its close cooperation, including nuclear proliferation, with Iran, stop selling weapons that kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and stop supporting terrorism in the region – these are the issues that the Armenian lobby should be preoccupied with.
Of course, all of this obstructionist behavior and destructive actions run counter to the U.S. national interests, not to mention the interests of American voters, and specifically, the Turkish-American voters such as myself, and interests of all other sane, common-sense Americans who are unaffected by such obstructionist lobbying.
I and many Turkish-Americans, as well as the Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA) and the U.S. Turkic Network (USTN) will be actively seized on this matter and I look forward to your vote for Amb Ricciardone in the Senate. I greatly appreciate your attention to this matter and your consideration of my concerns, and want you to know that you can rely on me for issues concerning the Black Sea, Balkans, Caucasus, Caspian Basin regions as well as South Eastern Europe and Greater Middle East.
Sincerely,
FTAA and USTN members
Click Here to Support the Initiative and Contact to Your Senators
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