Turkey-Armenia ties high on US Congress agenda
The relations between Turkey and Armenia were one of the key issues
discussed at the hearing, "The Caucasus: Frozen conflicts and
closed borders", held at the House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee last week.
Chairman of the Committee, pro-Armenian Congressman Howard Berman of California, said keeping the border between the two countries closed runs counter to US interests as well as the provisions of the 1922 Gars agreement. He claimed that Turkey's failing to open up the border causes Armenia's falling under Iran's influence. Berman also came out against relating the border issue to the unresolved Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
Other pro-Armenian lawmakers attending the hearing voiced concern over the closed border as well as the fact that the alleged genocide of Armenians has yet to be recognized.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, answering the Congressmen's questions, said the White House did not recognize the so-called "genocide" and demanded that Armenia stop coveting the neighboring country's land.
"Armenia should recognize Turkey's exiting borders," Fried said, citing the importance of Yerevan's showing reciprocity to Ankara's efforts in this respect.
As for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, he said that if Armenia is indeed looking to resume cooperation with its neighbor, it should relinquish all territorial claims against the modern Turkish state.
Fried's remarks are seen as the first such statement made by a US official.
At the same time, the assistant secretary said his country was interested in the re-opening of the Turkish-Armenian border.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara's insistence due to Armenia's policy of occupation and the "Armenian genocide" claims.
Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijani territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law.
Armenians term the 1915 developments in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, a claim strenuously denied by Turkey.
Chairman of the Committee, pro-Armenian Congressman Howard Berman of California, said keeping the border between the two countries closed runs counter to US interests as well as the provisions of the 1922 Gars agreement. He claimed that Turkey's failing to open up the border causes Armenia's falling under Iran's influence. Berman also came out against relating the border issue to the unresolved Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
Other pro-Armenian lawmakers attending the hearing voiced concern over the closed border as well as the fact that the alleged genocide of Armenians has yet to be recognized.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, answering the Congressmen's questions, said the White House did not recognize the so-called "genocide" and demanded that Armenia stop coveting the neighboring country's land.
"Armenia should recognize Turkey's exiting borders," Fried said, citing the importance of Yerevan's showing reciprocity to Ankara's efforts in this respect.
As for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, he said that if Armenia is indeed looking to resume cooperation with its neighbor, it should relinquish all territorial claims against the modern Turkish state.
Fried's remarks are seen as the first such statement made by a US official.
At the same time, the assistant secretary said his country was interested in the re-opening of the Turkish-Armenian border.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara's insistence due to Armenia's policy of occupation and the "Armenian genocide" claims.
Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijani territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law.
Armenians term the 1915 developments in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, a claim strenuously denied by Turkey.
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