Turkish People Themselves Should Make Decisions Related to their History: US Expert

Having a Republican majority in the United States House of Representatives following the midterm elections on Nov. 2 will not directly influence US foreign policy but indirectly could be to Turkey’s advantage as far as the Armenian Genocide Resolution goes, according to an American expert, reports Sunday’s Zaman. 

According to Bruce Jackson, president of the Project on Transitional Democracies based in Washington, D.C., the incoming House Republicans generally believe that passing an Armenian resolution is not the foreign policy of the United States.

“Passing an Armenian resolution is not the foreign policy of the United States. It’s the agenda of a domestic pressure group. It does not enjoy support in either Democratic or Republican foreign policy circles. Is the US Congress going to offer a verdict on the Crusades next time?” Jackson asked as he answered questions for Sunday’s Zaman at the Nov. 5-7 Halifax International Security Forum in Canada.

He added that US President Barack Obama would veto a resolution if it were to be passed by Congress in any case. 

“There is a constitutional and presidential aversion to passing whimsical, inflammatory resolutions that are destructive to [the] international system just because it makes you feel good. It is not the role of the Congress or the president,” he said. “When Turkey will come to terms with its history, it should be done by the Turkish people themselves. Coming to terms with history cannot be imposed from the outside.”