ANKARA, Turkey– Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu strongly denounced a U.S. congressional committee over the weekend for scheduling a vote on an Armenian genocide resolution.  Davutoglu said that passage of a resolution would severely hamper Turkey’s relations with both the United States and Armenia.

Davutoglu reportedly suggested that Washington is using the prospect of passing the resolution to force Turkey to ratify its fence-mending agreements with Armenia.  “The draft’s inclusion on the agenda is not in the interests of the United States, Turkey and Armenia.  This process can lead both our bilateral relations with the U.S. and Turkey’s rapprochement with Armenia into deadlock,” said Davutoglu.

The resolution, before the U.S. House of Representatives, was introduced by pro-Armenian U.S. lawmakers a year ago.  The resolution strongly urges President Obama to “accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.”  It is believed, based on comments by the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman that the resolution will come to a vote early next month.

The resolution vote will come almost two months before the 95th anniversary of what many believe was the start of mass killings and deportations against the Armenians.  In the past, Turkey has vehemently condemned similar bills that were passed in committee, but that never were put to a full House vote.  Turkey contends that the killings occurred on a smaller scale and were not part of a premeditated government effort to exterminate Turkey’s Armenian population.

On Saturday, Davutoglu said that he raised Ankara’s concerns with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg at a meeting held in Munch which addressed international security concerns.  Davutoglu claims that Armenia is in some ways behind the scheduling of the congressional committee vote.  Meanwhile, Armenian officials have voiced their satisfaction with the progress of the “genocide resolution.”

For more information, please see:

Armenia Diaspora- Turkey Unhappy with U.S. Over Armenian Genocide Bill– 9 February 2010

Armenia Now- Genocide Resolution is “Element of Pressure;” would “Hamper” Protocol Process– 9 February 2010

Radio Free Europe- Turkey Slams U.S. Over Armenian Genocide Bill– 8 February 2010