February 9, 2007 - 18:39 AMT
Bush administration going to make Congress understand Turkey's importance for U.S.
The Armenian Genocide resolution has shaped the goal of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's visit to Washington and the course of diplomacy efforts over the past days for the Turkish delegation. As reported by Hurriyet newspaper, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said "We have explained to everyone here how much sensitivity this matter holds for the Turkish people. The U.S. administration understands the importance of the situation. We had done our best in the Congress." The same source reasserted assurances which have emerged over the past weeks that, as the Armenian Genocide bill proceeds further in the Congress, it is expected that U.S. President George W. Bush will intercede to try and stop it. It has also been reported that U.S. State Department officials have prepared a letter to be given to Congress members, and that an additional section of the letter addresses the matter "Why Turkey is important."

The source said, "We will continue to speak about this at every level. We have not behaved as though this bill is a threat. However, it is a truth that on many levels, Turkey has helped the U.S. We have underlined this. Our dual relations are too important to be toyed with by the narrow elections calculations of a few Congress members...."