December 18, 2007 - 14:49 AMT
Hakan Tekin: Turkey not scared of its history
American lawmakers should not vote on the Armenian Genocide resolution, H.Res.106, since it can hamper the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, said Hakan Tekin, Turkey's Consul General in Los Angeles.

"It's not correct to describe killings of Armenians during World War I as Genocide," he said. "The 27-21 Committee vote resulted in tensions in the Turkey-U.S. relations. Turkey briefly pulled its U.S. ambassador, Nabi Sensoy, back to Ankara after the vote."

According to him, Turkey is not afraid to withstand history. Tekin reminded that Turkish Premier Erdogan proposed RA President Robert Kocharian to form a joint committee of historians to investigate the issue. "We are not scared of our history, and we are not trying to hide anything," Tekin said.

"The Congress shouldn't pass the legislation, since it will become a tool of pressure in the hands of the Armenian community, which can influence on the U.S. political field," the Consul General said, columnist Hakop Martirossian writes.