The vote has gotten four main sponsors. However, they reasoned that a delay was more necessary that if the timing was more favorable, the majority of colleagues would very much support it. The current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi who has supported a vote for a long time understood and respected the decision to delay the vote. The Turkish government had recalled its envoy. According to George W. Bush, a vote could possibly damage ties with Turkey which is a United States ally.
The four Democratic co-sponsors plan to present this on the table again later 2007 or somewhere in 2008. The sponsors are: Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Anna Eshoo, and Frank Pallone.
Turkey admitted and accepted the many deaths of Armenians during World War I. However, they denied that the deaths were a result of systematic genocide. The vote had already been considered by the United States House of Representatives. It was passed through its Foreign Affairs Committee early October 2007.
It is speculated that American troops can be denied access to Incirlik airbase or other supply lines. A vote to condemn the killings as genocide could possibly make things harder for United States operations in Afghanistan and Iraq harder than they are. Recently, the United States and Iraq have urged Turkey not to take military action to send troops into northern Iraq to take out PKK bases.
There have been growing tensions as a result. Possibly, this vote could make things far more difficult.
Leave Your Comments