Lawmakers warn Turkey of payback over Iran, Israel policies
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/16/art.pence0525y.gi.jpg caption = “Rep. Mike Pence believes Turkey should not head down a path of closer diplomatic relations with Iran.”]
Washington (CNN) - Supporters of Israel in the U.S. House warned Turkey on Wednesday they might support a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide that so far has failed to come up for a vote by the full chamber.
Turkey opposes the resolution that would bring formal U.S. recognition of the 1915-1923 campaign by Turkey's Ottoman Empire against the Armenian population of eastern Anatolia region as genocide.
The resolution passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee by a single vote in March, but so far has not come up for debate by the full House. Turkey called home its U.S. ambassador to protest the House committee vote.
However, House members who have been unwilling to support the resolution now say they might change their minds due to Turkey's pro-Iranian moves and support for the recent effort to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.
"There will be a cost if Turkey stays on its present heading of growing closer to Iran and more antagonistic to the state of Israel," Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, told a news conference. "It will bear upon my view and I believe the view of many members of Congress on the state of the relationship with Turkey."
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At what point does the United States start to MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS?
Of all the problems we have in OUR country, why do you have to stick your nose in an issue that involves Turkey, Iran, Gaza and Israel over an incident that happened nearly 90 years ago???
Mike Pence, (R), Indiana, if you can't find something positive to do to help THIS country, vacate your office and let someone else work for THIS country.
Blaming Turkey for the flotilla massacre and Israel's blockade of 1.6 million people in Gaza is SHAMEFUL. Personally I am sick and tired of seing my taxes going to Israel.
Isn't that cute? Pence wants to run for Pwezident and is trying to look like he's tough on Iran and all those evil brown people. Adorable.
Turkey realizes that Iran is very close to having nuclear weapons and that Obama is powerless to do anything other than talk tough.So for Turkey to do anything other than what they are doing makes perfect sense.One of these days the world will regret standing by and letting Iran develop it's nuclear program.
The GOP is trying to make (a) Turkey dance to their tune – good luck, Mike Pence – try the "turkey trot"....
Why don't somebody in the media call these biased politicians out. Israel boarded a ship in international waters and killed nine people. A individual cannot claim self-defense when the initial act itself was illegal. As a matter of fact, the United States has done a lot worse things than the Turks did against Armenia and yet we constantly want to show our true bias when it comes to Israel. I don't understand it. If I understand history correctly, Turkey has stood with us for years against people in the Middle East and they have been a good supporter of Israel. I don't think it is too much for Israel to apologize for killing those individuals on that humantiarian ship. Congressman Pence should just go back to Indiana and be quiet because he won't be getting elected President or Vice-President.
Sounds like blackmail to me. You do not go aboard a ship and murder people in international waters.
Who are these punks that are trying to some how intimidate Turkey?
I don't much about Armenia. But Turkey, you need to know that some in America have got your back if the Republicans are simply playing politics.
I don't trust Pence two feet.
The issue on the table for Turkey is having an independent commission to investigate the flottila catastrophe.
The rest is just spin.
If Israel values good relations over supressing the truth (which by implication it is trying for by not allowing an independent body or by holding back the footage of the affair from the journalists) then who is really being disengenuous to the relationship.
We need to stop this unilateral support of Israel and start feeling the pain of the other side. If Turkey did to Israel what Israel did to Turkey, we would be invading Turkey and taking over the country. Also, can't we have free speech in this country when it comes to denouncing Israel; it seems our First Amendment rights are violated when it comes to this (where are the Tea Party people complaining about this one or are they all Pro-Israel because they are prejudice against Muslims? They should remember that at least 1/3 of Arabs (in particular Palestinians are Christians). Helen Thomas is my new hero.