October 11, 2007 - 16:11 AMT
AAA hopeful that after H.Res.106 passage Armenian community of Turkey will not be persecuted
"Turkey is panic-stricken. It's thinking over the steps it should take to stop promotion of the H. Res. 106 but not to lose prestige. Turkey knows its history perfectly. If the resolution passes in the House and then, under favorable circumstances, in the Senate, Turkey should think seriously about its future," Armenian Assembly Country Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Arpi Vartanian told a news conference in Yerevan.

She voiced hope that the Turkish government will not make a mistake and will not persecute the Armenian community of Istanbul.

As to the influence of the adopted resolution on the Armenian-Turkish relations, in Ms. Vartanian's opinion, it's premature to speak of it yet.

She reminded that the Armenian Genocide Resolution is a non-binding House Resolution. However, the opinion of the Congress will certainly have weight in world politics. "The United States is a power defending democracy and human rights. The H.Res.106 proved it. But we should not forget that any decision, even a moral one, is also political," Ms. Vartanian underscored.