Excerpts
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) focused on the lack of religious freedom in Turkey stating, “The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom has listed Turkey on its watch list the last two years. In its April 2010 report that documented the persecution of minority religions in Turkey.” Rep. Bilirakis went on to note that “both the Greek and Armenian churches are not allowed train clergy, I think as you know, in Turkey.” He then asked: “When will religious tolerance become a reality in Turkey, in your opinion?” Panel responses were varied, with Dr. Rubin stating, tersely, “Shortly before Saudi Arabia gets religious freedom.”
Rep. Shelley Berkley shared a long array of concerns beginning with Turkey’s relationship with Israel and Iran. “Add that to the refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, the continuous and ever more lethal incursions into neighboring Kurdistan, the treatment of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the extraordinary gall for criticizing Israel when they themselves have occupied Cyprus for 36 years, it’s become increasingly evident to me that we need to take a hard look at our relationship with Turkey, reassess whether it is in our continuing national interest to continue it, whether they, in fact, have our interests in mind and whether they can continue to be thought of as truly reliable allies.”
Complete: http://www.armradio.am/news/?part=pol&id=18010
2 comments:
Noticed, you keep changing your blog template, it's fun to play with all those options isn't it.
Well every great evil passes, and so too shall Turkey's intolerance. Although I wouldn't expect the US to re-asses it's relations with Turkey in terms of human rites.
I finally got a nice looking template it will stay a while. I appreciate your interest in my efforts. This is a bit like cat and mouse.
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