Turkish Institute For Progress: New Congressional Resolution Will Help Repair Turkish-Armenian Relations And Further U.S. National Security Interests

NEW YORK, April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders of the Turkish Institute for Progress today applauded a new resolution, introduced by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), that calls on President Barack Obama to facilitate a process by which Turkey and Armenia can engage in a dialogue based on their common interests and find ways to work together in a spirit of reconciliation for the next 100 years. Such a resolution would also be a boost to the national security interests of the United States.

"This is the first time that a resolution looking to the future of Turkish-Armenian relations has ever been introduced and I hope that all of my former colleagues in the House will support this important measure," said former Congressman Solomon Ortiz, who serves as an advisor to the Turkish Institute for Progress. "The 28 years I served in Congress were more marked by bitterness and recrimination than they were by efforts to advance peace and I applaud my former colleague, Congressman Sessions, for helping to spur reconciliation between these two great nations."

During his 28-year tenure, Rep. Ortiz served on the House Committee on Armed Services and as the Chairman of the Committee's Subcommittee on Readiness.

The legislation, H.Res.226 was introduced earlier this week by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), who serves as Chairman of the House Rules Committee. It calls on the President "to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations for the next 100 years based upon the two countries' common interests and the United States' significant security interests in the region."

Full text of Rep. Sessions' resolution is below, or you can view it at https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-resolution/226.

RESOLUTION

Calling on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations for the next hundred years based upon the two countries' common interests and the United States' significant security interests in the region.

Whereas the Obama Administration has, since early 2009, sought to improve Armenian-Turkish relations; and

Whereas at the start of this process, President Barack Obama had, on April 6, 2009, voiced the United States Government's expectation that the Armenia-Turkey dialogue would "bear fruit very quickly," but recent attempts to reestablish diplomatic relations have been unsuccessful; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations for the next hundred years, based upon the two countries' common interests and the United States' significant security interests in the region.

The Turkish Institute for Progress was formed to provide a forum for dialogue in pursuit of peace, and cooperation between Turkey and the international community. By meeting on the common ground defined by shared regional political, economic, energy, transport, scientific, technical, and cultural issues, TIP pursues a constructive dialogue to ensure that international relationships with Turkey are marked by unity and the shared pursuit of common goals. For more information, visit www.turkishprogress.org.

SOURCE Turkish Institute for Progress

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