Armenian resolution splits state's House delegation

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith is caught in the middle of one of the world's longest-running political battles — one that now pits nearly 100,000 politically active Armenian Americans against potent lobbying by the Turkish government. The Tacoma Democrat is the sole Washington member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which will vote today on a resolution that would condemn as "genocide" the killing of more than a million Armenians starting in 1915 by Turkish soldiers.

The fight has split both the Democratic majority in Congress and Washington's delegation.

Smith twice voted against similar resolutions in 2005. But on Tuesday, he said he was still undecided because "the Turkish government has not acknowledged what happened to the Armenians, as they assured me they would do" in 2005.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, has decided to oppose it, even though he is one of the 226 co-sponsors.

An honorary member of the Armenian Congressional Caucus, McDermott said in an interview, "The Turks have been our allies; now we're calling them mass murderers."

McDermott said he objects to the term "genocide" because there was no public policy by the Turks to wipe out all Armenians.

"The issue in large measure is between the Armenian Christians and the Muslim Turks," he said, adding, "We are being asked to pick a winner."

Armenian Americans have pushed for the resolution for more than a decade.

Between 1915-23, an estimated 1 million Armenians living in the eastern region of present-day Turkey were massacred or died in forced marches ordered by Turkish soldiers serving in the falling Ottoman Empire. Thousands fled when their homes and businesses burned.

Turkish governments since then have strongly disputed claims by Armenians that the actions of the Ottomans constituted "genocide," citing the bloody struggles among several countries in that region at the end of World War I. Turkish officials also contend that the number of Armenians lost was closer to 500,000.

"For as long as I can remember, Turkey has refused to acknowledge the genocide, and this finally says what historians know," said Armen Abrahamian, a Bellevue software designer who leads the local chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America. He estimates that there are about 1,000 Armenian families in the Seattle area.

But the Turkish government, the last eight U.S. secretaries of state, and the Bush Administration say the resolution imperils U.S. relations with longtime ally Turkey, a democracy with a predominantly Muslim population.

In a Sept. 25 letter to Congress, the former secretaries of state said, "Passage of this resolution could quickly extend beyond symbolic significance."

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton, is against it because of potential political and military fallout.

Turkey has assisted the U.S. in the war in Iraq, allowing access to bases and air space. Moreover, Turkey could play a role in U.S. relations with central Russia, and in the situation in Iran.

Turkey's Ambassador to the U.S., Nabi Sensoy, cautioned, "There will be a big backlash in Turkey, and no government can be indifferent to that."

Turkey's new president was elected in August with the support of increasingly vocal Muslim factions.

"This is nonbinding and is not going to have any legal consequences," Sensoy said. "I know that; the people at the top know that. But the Turkish people will not."

The Armenia resolution was introduced in January, and attracted 226 co-sponsors including Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens; Brian Baird, D-Vancouver; Dave Reichert, R-Auburn; and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane.

The Armenian community's well-organized efforts have prodded several key Republicans to support the resolution, despite calls from the White House. In response, Turkey has spent several hundred thousand dollars hiring at least three powerful D.C. lobbying firms, including DLA Piper.

Their point man is former Democratic leader Dick Gephardt, who has visited many lawmakers, including Smith.

If the resolution passes the committee, it will move to the House for a vote. A similar bill in the Senate has been co-sponsored by Washington's senior Democratic senator, Patty Murray.