[JURIST] US Air Force Maj. Gen. Robertus Remkes [official profile], Director of Strategy, Policy and Assessments at US European Command [official website], has expressed concern about negative military repercussions if the US House of Representatives passes resolution HR 106, [text, PDF; key excerpts] identifying the World War I-era killings by Turkish soldiers of over one million Armenians [ANI backgrounder] as genocide. Turkey [JURIST news archive], which produces much of the equipment used by US forces in Afghanistan, disputes the number of deaths and denies [JURIST report] they were due to war crimes or genocide. Remkes says that approval of the resolution could sour relations [JURIST report] between the US and Turkey and cause Turkey to revoke permission to use its air space and US military bases in the country.

Lawmakers in several countries have introduced resolutions identifying the Armenian deaths as genocide, including France, which deferred consideration [JURIST report] of a measure following threats of sanctions from the Turkish government. The US House could vote on its resolution [JURIST report] as early as April. Stars and Stripes has more.