Armenian Genocide Vote in Congress Angers Turkey

(March 5) -- Turkey reacted with anger today at a congressional panel's vote labeling the 1915 killing of Armenians as genocide, warning it could harm its relations with the U.S.

President Abdullah Gül said Thursday's 23-22 committee vote was "an injustice to history," adding that "Turkey will not be responsible for the negative results that this event may lead to."

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country, which recalled its ambassador to Washington minutes after the vote, had been accused of a crime it did not commit, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey would assess what other measures it would take.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, on March 4, 2010.

Burhan Ozbilici, AP

In reaction to the House panel's vote, Turkey recalled its ambassador to the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, here at a news conference Thursday, said his country would consider taking other actions.

Turkey is a key ally of the U.S., and its cooperation is seen as vital in the war in Afghanistan, where it has sent about 1,700 troops. It also holds a seat on the U.N. Security Council, and Washington was looking to press Turkey to back a resolution calling for tougher sanctions against Iran.

It remains unclear whether the resolution by the foreign affairs committee will go for a vote to the full House of Representatives. A similar resolution passed the committee stage in 2007 but was blocked by the Bush administration because of its possible impact on U.S.-Turkish relations.

The Obama administration voiced its opposition shortly before Thursday's resolution was passed, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "We do not believe that the full Congress will or should act upon that resolution, and we have made that clear to all the parties involved."

But Turkey is not satisfied with Washington's stance so far.

"The picture shows that the U.S. administration did not put enough weight behind the issue," Davutoglu told reporters, The Associated Press reported. "We are seriously disturbed by the result."

Many European countries and Canada have formally recognized the 1915 events as genocide in the face of Turkey's protests.

Up to 1.5 million Armenians are estimated to have died in 1915 when they were deported from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Turks. The deaths have been acknowledged by Turkey, a Muslim country, but it says it was not part of a systematic plan to wipe out the Christian Armenian people.

The two countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations in October, but the accord has not been ratified by the two nations.