Turkish Thinkers Sorry for Armenian 'Catastrophe'

Turkey expected to withdraw ambassador

(NEWSER) - If you are in France and deny that Turkey committed "genocide" against 1.5 million Armenians in 1915-1916, be prepared to be fined $57,000 and spend a year in jail. Actually, the new legislation applies to genocide denial in general, but it is the law's application to the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey nearly 100 years ago that has Turkey furious—and Armenia elated, of course—reports the BBC . More»

Move follows House panel's declaration of genocide in Armenia

(AP) - Turkey is recalling its ambassador to the US following a resolution declaring the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I to be genocide. The move came minutes after the House Foreign Affairs Committee endorsed the nonbinding resolution with a 23-22 vote, even though the Obama administration had urged lawmakers not to offend Turkey by approving it. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama addressed the Turkish parliament today, and used the opportunity to extend an olive branch to the Muslim world, the New York Times reports. “The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam,” said Obama. “America’s relationship with the Muslim world cannot and will not just be based on opposition to al-Qaeda.” More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama reaffirmed the strength of US-Turkish ties at a press conference in Ankara this morning, touting Turkey as a nation with “similar principles” to the US, and asking for its help in ending the Iraq war. But things got awkward when talk turned to Armenian genocide, which Obama has in the past called a “widely documented fact.” “Well, my views are on the record, and I have not changed views,” Obama said today, carefully avoiding repeating the word “genocide.” More»

Turkish tensions scares off support

(NEWSER) - The four primary sponsors of the House resolution to label the 1915 killings of Armenians in Turkey as genocide have withdrawn support, formally asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi to delay voting on the measure, the AP reports. Enthusiasm for the resolution withered after Turkey withdrew its US ambassador and threatened to block US military access to a critical Turkish airbase used to support operations in Iraq. More»