JURIST - Paper Chase: Turkish president blasts US for Armenian genocide resolution

[JURIST] President Abdullah Gul of Turkey blasted the US House Foreign Relations Committee Thursday for approving [JURIST report] a resolution [text] declaring the World War I-era killings of over one million Armenians by Turkish soldiers [ANI backgrounder; Turkish DC Embassy backgrounder] genocide. Gul released a statement [text] on the resolution:

It's a pity that some politicians in the United States closed their ears to calls of common sense and, once again, attempted to make a tool of and sacrifice important matters for petty tricks of domestic politics. This is not an attitude which befits and benefits the representatives of a great power such as the United States of America. This unacceptable decision of the Committee has no validity and standing in the eyes of the Turkish people, as similar previous resolutions.

On Wednesday, US President George W. Bush expressed disappointment [press briefing] over the committee decision and urged the full House not to approve the resolution, out of concern that it could damage US relations with Turkey, a key supporter in the war on terror. AP has more.

Turkey has long objected [JURIST comment] to any attempts to classify the 1915 killings as a genocide. The BBC notes that several other countries have passed laws or resolutions [backgrounder] recognizing the Turkey-Armenian genocide.

4:29 PM ET - In response the US House vote on the resolution, Turkey has requested that its ambassador to the US return to Turkey for "consultations." AP has more.

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