Turks Say U.S. Condemnation Will Lead to Serious Problems

The French Parliament committee passed a resolution last year that was similar, and not a single French plane has flown through Turkish airspace since that time.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul Photo courtesy: armeniadiaspora.com

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The United States may be on the verge of seriously angering the Turkish government over a pending decision in the U.S. House of Representatives which would approve calling the Turkish killings of Armenians during World War I "genocide."

The U.S. has been warned by a high level Turkish official that consequences "won't be pleasant" if Congress approves the change. So far, the vote stood at 27-21 Wednesday, in spite of the fact that President Bush and other administration officials lobbied against it. A full house vote could happen as early as Friday.

The decision will seriously compromise U.S. relations with Turkey, a country that allows the United States access to military bases and runways.

Turkey is a NATO member, the nation has been a major U.S. ally in the Middle East and a middle point for sending supplies into Iraq and Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says good relations with Turkey are vital, as 70 percent of the air cargo bound for the military theater in Iraq passes through Turkey, as does 30 percent of the fuel needed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As Turkey accuses the U.S. of playing hardball, their foreign policy adviser Egemen Bagis stated, "I can assure you Turkey knows how to play hardball."

The move to condemn Turkey sits very poorly with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. He made a statement via his Website that the resolution was "unacceptable." He added that it "doesn't fit a major power like the United States."

Gul warned President Bush in a letter, that there will be serious problems in the relations between the two countries.

The Resolution is sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California. He told CNN that the measure already had 226 co-sponsors, which would be more than enough votes to pass.

Insiders say the resolution comes at a highly sensitive point in relations between the two countries. The United States is urging Turkey not to send its troops over the border into northern Iraq. Our government apparenty fears the repercussions that could happen if Turks decide to fight with separatist Kurdish rebels. The group has launched border crossing attacks in some areas of Turkey.

The French Parliament committee passed a resolution last year that was similar, and not a single French plane has flown through Turkish airspace since that time. A similar scenario could be devastating for the U.S. military operation.