In a press release issued yesterday, Kınıklıoğlu said he was honored to have been elected to the post. “I will try my best to be aware of the responsibility of heading the friendship group of a country with which we have been longtime allies, particularly in the spheres of defense, security and foreign policy. It goes without saying that the weight of this responsibility is further increased at a time when drafts regarding the 1915 incidents are being brought to the US Congress, which has remained a problem in our relationship for years.”
In his statement, Kınıklıoğlu praised the current US administration for having managed to “switch some mental gears” in the US about Turkey. He said unlike most European allies, the US appears to have understood the importance of maintaining good relations with Turkey, which is an increasingly powerful country that has deepened its political dialogue with its neighbors and that has the capacity to give direction to the course of regional events.
Kınıklıoğlu said he hoped to undertake projects that will help foster Turkish-US relations. However, he also said attempts of the Armenian diaspora to get legislation passed regarding the 1915 incidents had the potential to shatter relations. He called on the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs to act in accordance with the importance of its relations with Turkey.
