Turkish officials do not dispute that widespread death and suffering occurred among Christian Armenians beginning in April 1915, but they add that, amid the prevalent violence of World War I, hundreds of thousands of Turks and Muslims suffered similar fates during the same period and in the same area. Turkey also argues that there is no proof of an orchestrated campaign of genocide against the Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire. Developments in the US Congress have provoked collective outrage from both Turkish policymakers and the general public. Last week, in a move that sent shock waves through Washington, Turkey raised its diplomatic representation in Baghdad to ambassadorship, in spite of the long-standing U.S. policy to isolate the regime in Baghdad ostensibly in retaliation to the House decision. Still more is to come, according to Turkish government sources.
Plans are already underway to open a new border crossing with Iraq.
US officials are trying to downplay the significance of the congressional resolution. Clinton also promised Turkey s new president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, during last month s meeting between the two that he would work to defeat the bill. The resolution was also quick to reverse Turkey s recent policy of gradual rapprochement with its smaller neighbor in the Caucuses. Recently, the policy of facilitating visa approvals for Armenians to enter Turkey has been disbanded. Ankara is also considering closing the air corridor to Armenia a critical lifeline for the landlocked state.