Howard Berman, the chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, denounced efforts by his colleagues in the Turkish Caucus to question the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide, rejecting the flawed national security and economic arguments put forth by these legislators to block the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252) by the full U.S. House of Representatives, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a strongly worded response to a Congressional Turkish Caucus letter urging Nancy Pelosi to block floor consideration of the measure, Berman took "strong exception" to their references to the "so-called Armenian Genocide Resolution," stating that the assertion, "flies in the face of the overwhelming weight of unimpeachable historical evidence and the virtually unanimous opinion of genocide scholars."

Berman also rejected the flawed national security arguments against the Armenian Genocide Resolution, stating, "I believe that U.S.-Turkish security relations are founded on mutual interests and that Turkey is not about to discard the immense benefits it derives from bilateral security relations for the sake of 'punishing' the U.S. for a non-binding resolution, however much it may resent that resolution."

The chairman also disputed the effect of Congressional genocide affirmation on Turkey-Armenia relations, arguing that the Turkey-Armenia protocols "have been gathering dust in the Turkish Parliament" due to Turkish preconditions on the process.
The chairman's letter coincides with bilateral meetings held between President Barack Obama and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, and also between Sargsyan and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Both foreign leaders are in Washington this week as part of a major multilateral nuclear summit.

09:45 • 17/05

Greece has caretaker PM

09:42 • 17/05

New French government to take a pay cut

09:34 • 17/05

Hraparak: President to offer collaboration to 4 parties?

09:32 • 17/05

Yerkir: Naira Zohrabyan to be appointed deputy NA speaker

09:13 • 17/05

168 Zham: Ex FM to become National Assembly chairman?

09:11 • 17/05

Mladic trial resumes

08:32 • 17/05

Haykakan Zhamanak: Names of NA chairman, PM to be known today

22:52 • 16/05

Culture Ministry considers renovation of Tbilisi church

22:18 • 16/05

US panel propose more than doubling aid to Karabakh

22:07 • 16/05

Artsakh army has obvious advantages, says expert

20:58 • 16/05

Ex FM Vartan Oskanyan meets OSCE/ODIHR observers

20:41 • 16/05

German professor highly praises Armenian doctors

19:59 • 16/05

Armenia’s ex FM, Czech ambassador discuss Karabakh conflict

19:45 • 16/05

Irish think of sex most of all in Europe

19:35 • 16/05

Ombudsman calls for better guarantees to ensure freedom of assemblies

18:35 • 16/05

Internet romance scams cost $50 m in 2011

18:25 • 16/05

National Unity leader sees no reason to hurry

17:56 • 16/05

Yerevan Business Run-2012 marathon to be conducted in Yerevan

17:42 • 16/05

Armenian education minister meets Kuwaiti ambassador

17:36 • 16/05

Erebuni doctor commits suicide

17:24 • 16/05

Nagorno-Karabakh capital to have new kindeergarten

17:08 • 16/05

Greece election day appointed

17:04 • 16/05

Peoples’ Power to become a party, to stay in ANC

17:00 • 16/05

Journalists try to find reasons of political forces’ silence

16:03 • 16/05

Viktor Dallakyan to speak in ten days

15:43 • 16/05

German MP advocates national minorities’ rights to self-determination

15:37 • 16/05

Serzh Sargsyan to head situation for coming five years – Paruyr Hayrikyan

14:58 • 16/05

Prosperous Armenia rep on party’s global tasks

14:23 • 16/05

Paruyr Hayrikyan to probably run for presidency

14:16 • 16/05

Armenia’s society terror-stricken

13:58 • 16/05

OSCE monitoring registers no cease-fire violation

13:38 • 16/05

Armenian ambassador, Georgian deputy FM discuss St. Nshan Church’s collapse

12:54 • 16/05

Cannes gets under way with Anderson, Baron Cohen The 65th

12:54 • 16/05

ENP Package, Country Progress Report – Armenia

12:43 • 16/05

Naira Zohrabyan praises Prosperous Armenia leader’s spokesman

12:41 • 16/05

ANC leader, Rule of Law party members waive their mandates

12:23 • 16/05

Armenia Looks at Europe – Armenian premier

12:20 • 16/05

Avangard: Zaruhi Bostanjyan Armenia’s first-ever woman-president?

11:32 • 16/05

Hraparak: ANC elite and Yerkrapah volunteers in Armenia’s parliament

11:13 • 16/05

The genocide trial of Ratko Mladic opens

10:53 • 16/05

Corruption remains a serious problem for Armenia - EU

10:39 • 16/05

Three Armenians arrested in Sofia over whack job plotting

10:27 • 16/05

Chorrord Inkishkhanutyun: Armenia’s ex-president meets with his Karabakh peer

10:26 • 16/05

Haykakan Zhamanak: Raffi Hovhannissyan to waive his mandate, run for presidency