13 March 2010 / ,
Not for the first time, Armenians sense a moment of vindication in their struggle for the acknowledgment of the tragedy that befell their forebears during the First World War. Turkey is angry.
And America’s administration is straining to limit the damage. The latest Turkish-American rift over the Armenian question -- after a congressional committee voted on March 4th to recognize the killings of 1915 as genocide -- looks wider than some previous ones. It coincides with a general scratchiness between America and its ally. Turkey is reluctant to slap sanctions on Iran. Anti-Americanism is running high among Turks. Some suspect that Barack Obama retains his view (expressed as a senator in 2008) that “the Armenian genocide is not an allegation…but rather a widely documented fact.” Still, the chances are that after a deep sulk, Turkey will send its ambassador back to Washington.
