Category: Harut Sassounian

Harut Sassounian is the Publisher of The California Courier, founded in 1958. His weekly editorials, translated into several languages, are reprinted in scores of U.S. and overseas publications and posted on countless websites.<p>

He is the author of “The Armenian Genocide: The World Speaks Out, 1915-2005, Documents and Declarations.”

As President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, he has administered the procurement and delivery of $970 million of humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Artsakh during the past 34 years. As Senior Vice President of Kirk Kerkorian’s Lincy Foundation, he oversaw $240 million of infrastructure projects in Armenia.

From 1978 to 1982, Mr. Sassounian worked as an international marketing executive for Procter & Gamble in Geneva, Switzerland. He was a human rights delegate at the United Nations for 10 years. He played a leading role in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.N. Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities in 1985.

Mr. Sassounian has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

  • Armenians Sue Turkey Claiming U.S. Air Base Land

    Armenians Sue Turkey Claiming U.S. Air Base Land

    By Harut Sassounian
    Publisher, The California Courier-
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    Over the years, Armenians have gradually shifted their attention from the recognition of the Genocide to the pursuit of legal remedies for their massive losses suffered between 1915 and 1923.
    Several lawsuits have been filed recently in U.S. Federal Courts against Western insurance companies and banks. In July, Armenian-American attorneys sued the Republic of Turkey and its two major banks, seeking compensation for confiscated properties and loss of income.
    A new federal lawsuit was filed last week by attorneys Vartkes Yeghiayan, Kathryn Lee Boyd and David Schwarcz, along with international law expert Michael Bazyler, against the Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank, and Ziraat Bank for “unlawful expropriation and unjust enrichment.” The plaintiffs are Los Angeles-area residents Rita Mahdessian and Anais Haroutunian, and Alex Bakalian of Washington, D.C.
    The three Armenian-Americans, who have deeds proving ownership of properties stolen from their families during the Genocide, are seeking compensation for 122 acres of land in the Adana region. The strategic Incirlik U.S. Air Base is partly located on their property.
    During the Genocide, the Turkish government initially placed all properties belonging to Armenian victims under seal. Subsequently, it directed the Ziraat Bank to hold all proceeds from the sale of seized properties in trust and for safekeeping on behalf of the Armenian owners. These properties were then transferred to the Turkish Treasury and placed under the administration of the Central Bank. The lawsuit accuses the Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank and Ziraat Bank of unfairly benefiting from the plaintiffs’ seized assets.
    The three Turkish defendants are currently engaged in commercial activities in the United States which grants jurisdiction to U.S. courts. The Republic of Turkey operates several state-owned or controlled enterprises in the U.S., such as the Turkish Airlines and Tourism Information Office. Both the Central Bank and Ziraat Bank also have offices in the United States.
    In addition to seizing the Armenian plaintiffs’ property, the Turkish government has pocketed the rent paid by the United States for the Incirlik Air Base during the past 60 years. The base is operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service — a U.S. Department of Defense entity. Several major American corporations, such as Baskin Robbins, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and AT&T transact business and provide services on the base for U.S. troops. These companies have also been profiting from Armenian-owned lands for many years.
    The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs “are suffering harm from the loss of use and proceeds from their property.” Turkey and its Central Bank’s “continued unlawful use of the property causes a direct effect in the United States because a U.S. commercial entity pays money” to Turkey to lease the Incirlik Air Base and “is engaged in a long-term business arrangement with defendants….”
    The lawsuit also states that the “plaintiffs’ action is additionally based upon their rights in property unlawfully expropriated by defendant Turkey in violation of international law, pursuant to a Turkish campaign of genocide…. International law prohibits the taking of property when it is done in a discriminatory way or pursuant to gross violations of human rights. Plaintiffs’ property was taken pursuant to the genocidal campaign of the Ottoman Turkish Empire to destroy, in whole or in part, Armenian Christians in Turkey.”
    The plaintiffs assert that after the Genocide, the Turkish government transferred Armenian-owned “businesses, factories, shops, farms, and all other economic enterprises into Turkish Muslim ownership,” Yet, the most shocking charge is the accusation that the Turkish authorities used “the proceeds derived from the sale of Armenian property to fund their deportation.” It is noteworthy that beyond depriving Armenians of their lives and property during the Genocide, Turkish authorities strictly forbade the survivors from reclaiming their properties, by stamping their passports “Return prohibited.”
    The Armenian-American plaintiffs estimate the current value of the property seized from their families to be $63.9 million, since their land constitutes 3.7% of the $1.7 billion “plant replacement value” of the Incirlik Air Base, according to the latest U.S. Defense Department data. The plaintiffs are demanding the current fair market value of their property as well as the accrued rental for the past 60 years, possibly totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This lawsuit does not include the value of other Armenian properties in Incirlik, including a church and school.
    In the coming months, several other lawsuits are expected to be filed in U.S. courts against the Turkish government and other Turkish entities, including a claim for the Turkish Presidential Palace in Ankara, which is located on land owned by the Kassabian family.

  • Sassounian’s column of Dec. 16, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Dec. 16, 2010


    US Court of Appeals Hands

    A Major Victory to Armenians

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    By Harut Sassounian

    Publisher, The California Courier

    In a stunning development, a federal appeals court handed Armenian-Americans a major legal and political victory last week. It reversed its earlier ruling and decided that a California law extending the deadline for lawsuits against life insurance companies WAS constitutional, after all!

    The new ruling did much more than assist heirs of Armenian Genocide victims to file lawsuits against insurance companies for unpaid claims. It also blocked possible legal action by Turkish organizations which could have undone decades of struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by local and state governments in the United States.

    In 2009, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that a law adopted by the California Legislature in 2000 — extending to December 31, 2010 the statute of limitations on insurance claims — was unconstitutional, because it included a reference to the Armenian Genocide. In a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the State of California had infringed on the foreign affairs power reserved by the U.S. Constitution to the federal government. Two of the three federal judges asserted that the state had contravened the federal government’s policy of not acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.

    I pointed out in a column I wrote in response to the 2009 appeals court decision that Judges David Thomson and Dorothy Nelson were mistaken in claiming that Congress and states were prohibited from adopting resolutions on the Armenian Genocide. In their majority opinion, the two Judges selectively mentioned only those resolutions that were not approved by the House, ignoring that the U.S. House of Representatives twice adopted Armenian Genocide resolutions in 1975 and 1984, and Pres. Reagan issued a Presidential Proclamation in 1981, acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. I also wrote that the U.S. government did NOT have an official policy of denying the Armenian Genocide. I also wondered why the California Attorney General was not asked to file a friend of the court brief to defend the state from unwarranted accusations that it had adopted a statute that supposedly violated the U.S. Constitution.

    Given the serious consequences of the 2009 court ruling for their clients as well as the Armenian Cause, the Law offices of Geragos & Geragos; Kabatek, Brown, Kellner LLP; and Yeghiayan Law Firm engaged the services of attorneys David Balabanian, David Salmons, and Erin Conroy from Bingham McCutchen to seek a rehearing of the case. Friend of the court briefs in support of the rehearing were filed by the Armenian National Committee of America, Armenian Bar Association, Zoryan Institute, International Association of Genocide Scholars, EarthRights International, Center for Constitutional Rights, Cong. Adam Schiff, and California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

    On December 10, the same appeals court with the same judicial panel as last year’s ruled 2 to 1 that the California law referring to the Armenian Genocide did NOT conflict with U.S. foreign policy. Judge Nelson, switching sides, joined Judge Harry Pregerson in ruling in favor of the Armenian plaintiffs. “We conclude that there is no express federal policy forbidding states to use the term Armenian Genocide,” Judge Pregerson wrote for the majority. He quoted from “various statements from the federal executive and legislative branches in favor of genocide recognition.” He specifically cited the Armenian Genocide resolutions adopted by the House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984, and Pres. Reagan’s Presidential Proclamation of 1981. Judge Pregerson also stated that “the federal government has never expressed any opposition” to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by any of the 43 states!

    Following this ruling, the lawsuit against the three German insurance companies can resume, opening the door for more lawsuits against other insurance companies, subject to a possible rehearing by a full 11-judge panel of the appeals court.

    In addition, Armenian-Americans can now use the appeals court’s ruling to persuade those members of Congress who may be reluctant to support a pending Genocide resolution out of an unfounded concern that it may contradict U.S. foreign policy. The court’s ruling makes it crystal clear that the federal government has never denied the Armenian Genocide and never objected to the plethora of U.S. cities, counties, and states recognizing it. The decision of the appeals court should be forwarded to all members of Congress, State Department officials, and the White House.

    Neil Soltman, attorney for the three German insurance companies being sued, stated that he was baffled by the appeals court’s decision. Gunay Evinch, President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, called the ruling “unprecedented,” “politically motivated” and “shameful.”

    It is noteworthy that Armenians are suing German insurance companies in California, and a Turkish lobbying group is squirming — for good reason!

  • Armenians should stay away from Turkey until assassination plot is investigated

    Armenians should stay away from Turkey until assassination plot is investigated

    By Harut Sassounyan

    The Turkish Cihan wire service made a sensational revelation last week – a Turkish hit squad had planned to assassinate a visiting Armenian Parliamentarian on March 22, 2009.

    Based on information obtained from Turkish security services, Cihan disclosed that Mutlu Erdogan and Selcuk Onur Ozyilmaz, members of the Turkish Unity Revenge Squad (Turk Intikam Birligi Teshkilati), were plotting to kill an unnamed ARF (Tashnag Party) leader. They were tipped off about his presence in Turkey, after he had acquired a Turkish cell phone.

    The Armenian Weekly, a Boston-based ARF publication, speculated that the target of the Turkish hit men may have been Ara Nranyan, an ARF Parliamentarian from Armenia, who was in Turkey to attend a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) conference as Chairman of the Audit Committee of BSEC’s Parliamentary Assembly.

    During a phone conversation, the hit squad members discussed their plan to assassinate Nranyan, but decided to postpone their intended action, having learned that the security forces were trailing them. “Let a few months pass and we will slowly begin to conduct operations. We won’t stand idly by,” the conspirators told each other on a phone call which was monitored by Turkish authorities.

    The ARF Bureau press office expressed concern that “information about Nranyan’s entry to Turkey was made available to a terrorist organization,” noting that “such information could have only been provided by the Turkish state.”

    Meanwhile, a Turkish police report established a link between the hit squad and Ergenikon, a covert group of military and intelligence officials who carried out terrorist operations, including political assassinations, in order to create mayhem and instability in Turkey with the aim of toppling the elected government.

    “Nranyan’s visit was not secret, but it was not a high profile visit either. So, it is possible that the information the alleged plotters had was from a source within the Turkish government,” ARF Bureau political affairs director Giro Manoyan told the Armenian Weekly. “We are taking the issue seriously and looking into it, trying to find out as much information as possible,” he added. “The information is disturbing because it corresponds with certain facts,” said Manoyan. “In a country where someone like Hrant Dink who was considered a ‘dove’ was gunned down in broad daylight, we wouldn’t be surprised that a member of the ARF, generally viewed in Turkey as ‘hawks,’ would be targeted,” Manoyan noted. Indeed, it was revealed that the Ergenikon group had even planned to assassinate the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey!

    It is surprising that ever since this most serious revelation, no Armenian government official has bothered to make a statement or issue a condemnation. Not even the Chairman of the Armenian Parliament has raised his voice at the news that a member of his legislative body had been targeted for assassination.

    One would have expected that the Armenian government would have pressed Ankara to disclose how a hit squad was alerted about the upcoming visit of an Armenian Parliamentarian to Turkey — was it through a phone company insider, a Turkish visa officer or a state official who knew of Nranyan’s plan to attend the BSEC conference?

    Armenia should demand that Turkey conduct a thorough investigation of this ugly incident and disclose the steps taken to ensure that such leaks to terrorists about visiting Armenian dignitaries do not take place in the future. Until Yerevan becomes satisfied that the Turkish government is doing everything possible to guarantee the safety and security of Armenian visitors, no Armenian official or tourist should step foot on Turkish soil, and no Armenian athlete or sports team should participate in any tournament in Turkey. No more soccer diplomacy! Also, until further notice, no Armenian from the Diaspora should visit Turkey.

    Strangely, some naïve Armenians do not seem to realize that when they go to Turkey on vacation, they are not simply visiting another country, but going into enemy territory. Since there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, no Armenian consular official can come to the assistance of an Armenian citizen in trouble, as was the case in the killing of a pregnant Armenian woman near Ankara, and the beating of an Armenian family vacationing in Antalya.

    Armenians should raise this assassination plot at every opportunity through the global media and international meetings, particularly the Black Sea Economic Cooperation conference, demanding that Turkish officials bring severe charges against the accused hit men, disclose the findings of their investigation, and take preventive steps before Armenia agrees to send another official delegation to Turkey.

    /Times.am-Armenian news/

  • Sassounian’s column of Dec. 2, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Dec. 2, 2010

    California Officials Honor

    Republic of Artsakh and its President

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    By Harut Sassounian

    Publisher, The California Courier

    Bako Sahakyan, President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh), just completed his third visit to Los Angeles. Unlike his previous two visits, he was received last week by prominent political figures as a Head of State, even though his country is not officially recognized by the international community.

    Pres. Sahakyan was in California for 10 days on the occasion of Armenia Fund’s annual Thanksgiving Day telethon that raised over $20 million to provide humanitarian assistance to the villages of Artsakh.

    In addition to visiting the local Armenian community and meeting benefactors, for the first time Pres. Sahakyan was welcomed by the City Councils of Los Angeles and Montebello, asked to speak before the World Affairs Council of Orange County, and invited to a State Luncheon held in his honor by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

    The Los Angeles City Council received Pres. Sahakyan and his entourage on November 19 and honored him with a proclamation and city resolution, highlighting his commitment to the independence of the Republic of Artsakh. Council member Paul Krekorian warmly saluted the President: “It is my distinct and proud honor to recognize Pres. Sahakyan, a true champion of freedom, justice, and liberty. He is a warrior who fought and paid in blood for the freedom and independence of his homeland and his countrymen.” The President was officially welcomed to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, by Eric Garcetti, President of the City Council. Pres. Sahakyan thanked the Council members for the honor and invited them to visit the Republic of Artsakh. Several other Council Members also made welcoming remarks. It was heartwarming to see the flag of the Republic of Artsakh for the first time alongside the U.S. flag in the City Council Chambers during this special ceremony.

    Later that evening, Pres. Sahakyan addressed the World Affairs Council of Orange County, during a banquet in his honor at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach. This unprecedented event took place without a hitch, despite demands for its cancellation by Elin Suleymanov, the Consul General of Azerbaijan, the US Azeris Network, and a handful of Azeri and Turkish demonstrators.

    Pres. Sahakyan was next honored by Mayor William Molinari and the City Council of Montebello on Nov. 22. The Mayor welcomed the President and presented him a Proclamation. In response, Pres. Sahakyan expressed his gratitude for the sister-city relationship between Montebello and Stepanakert, the Capital of Artsakh. Later that evening, the President attended a reception in his honor organized by the local community at the Montebello Armenian Center.

    The following day, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave a State Luncheon at the Getty House for the President of the Republic of Artsakh — a special honor for visiting Heads of State. Before the luncheon, the Mayor met privately with Pres. Sahakyan and discussed bilateral relations between the Republic of Artsakh and Los Angeles, a sister city with Yerevan. In expressing his gratitude, the President invited the Mayor to visit Artsakh and Armenia. The luncheon was attended by the President’s delegation, Consul General of Armenia Grigor Hovhannissian, Councilman Paul Krekorian, City Council President Eric Garcetti, and Armenian community leaders.

    In a gracious gesture, Mayor Villaraigosa made an appearance on Thanksgiving Day at the telethon broadcast live on November 25, and urged viewers worldwide to contribute generously to the Armenia Fund’s humanitarian project of providing drinking and irrigation water to 200 villages in Artsakh.

    On November 24, Pres. Sahakyan met with a group of young professionals who made a commitment to support the opening of a special office to represent Artsakh in Los Angeles. The President welcomed the group’s initiative, stating that a formal announcement would be made shortly.

    Overall, Pres. Sahakyan’s visit to California was a resounding success, not only in raising a substantial amount of money for Artsakh’s humanitarian needs, but also in establishing valuable political ties with the cities of Los Angeles and Montebello, and the Orange County World Affairs Council, thereby strengthening Artsakh’s prospects for recognition by the international community as an independent state.

    While the Consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles spends hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on high-powered lobbyists to carry out anti-Artsakh propaganda, Pres. Sahakyan, with the assistance of the Armenian community, succeeded in effectively countering the Azeri campaign, without spending a single dollar!

  • Sassounian’s column of Nov. 25, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Nov. 25, 2010

    Conference Participants Enthusiastically
    Support Elective Diaspora Leadership
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    By Harut Sassounian
    Publisher, The California Courier
    After much anticipation and lengthy preparations, the Institute of Armenian Studies at the University of Southern California (USC) held on November 20 a successful international symposium — “The Armenian Diaspora: Elective Leadership and Worldwide Structure.”
    The symposium was attended by 600 enthusiastic participants from throughout the United States, Canada, Russia, Australia, and Europe. The speakers were: Dr. Z.S. Andrew Demirdjian, Cal State University, Long Beach, “The Persuasive Power of Numbers: A Call for Political Clout”; Dr. Archalus Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer, Senior UN Advisor, Vienna, “Armenian Unity and International Politics”; Harut Sassounian, , “Proposal for a Popularly Elected Structure to Represent Diaspora Armenians”; Dr. Gaidz Minassian, Foundation for Strategic Research, Paris, “Toward a World Council of Armenians: Why, How, Who?”; Gov. George Deukmejian, “Personal Reflections of California’s First Armenian Governor”; Honorable Grigor Hovhannissian, Consul General of Armenia, Los Angeles, “Welcoming Remarks”; former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, “Maximizing Influence in a World of Nation-States: A Challenge for the Armenian Diaspora”; journalist/author Mark Arax, Fresno, “The Power of Speaking to the Media with One Collective Voice”; Dr. Levon Marashlian, Glendale Community College, “The Necessity and Difficulty of Establishing a Diaspora Congress”; Dr. Stephan Astourian, Univ. of California, Berkeley, “The Traditional Armenian Parties and the Problem of Pan-Armenian Coordination”; Dr. R. Hrair Dekmejian, USC and Dr. Nyree Derderian, Stanford University, “Models and Modalities of Creating a Trans-Diaspora Framework,” followed by a round table discussion between the speakers and the audience.
    My own remarks were an expanded version of the article I wrote nine months ago, proposing the creation of a democratically-elected structure that would represent all Armenians in the Diaspora.
    I stated that a growing number of Armenians have realized that a collective effort is necessary if they are to survive as a dispersed ethnicity detached from its homeland. Beyond the need to preserve the Diaspora’s vibrancy and cultural identity, Armenians share a common quest for justice from Turkey and a firm commitment for the security and economic prosperity of the twin Republics of Armenia and Artsakh. Armenians have finally concluded that they can benefit immensely from pooling their limited resources and jointly tackling common problems facing all Diaspora communities.
    As outlined in my February article, I elaborated about the framework of establishing an elected body that would legitimately represent Armenians throughout the Diaspora, except those in Armenia and Artsakh, who already reside in state structures with elected governments. Thus, for the first time in Diaspora’s history, Armenians would elect their own representatives or leaders, on the basis of one-man, one vote.
    I also suggested that elections be held by Armenian communities to choose one representative for each group of 20,000 Armenians. The collective body of 350 representatives from all electoral districts throughout the Diaspora would become the entity that can legitimately claim to speak in the name of all seven millions Armenians, outside of Armenia and Artsakh. Popular elections would encourage the silent majority to get involved in community affairs. This would be a dramatic shift from the current situation where a small number of individuals work around the clock, sacrificing their time and effort, while most Armenians, who are unaffiliated with any organization remain disengaged and disinterested. Should such grassroots elections succeed, large numbers of Armenians would feel empowered and energized, having actively participated in choosing their leaders.
    The academic symposium held on Nov. 20 is the first of many steps necessary before launching the ambitious initiative of creating a worldwide representative structure. A team of researchers should now explore and determine the optimum mechanisms to conduct such elections, estimate the demography of each community, establish qualifications for both voters and candidates, and recommend measures to prevent voter fraud.
    Conference participants were particularly interested in hearing Dr. Minassian’s presentation of a detailed plan unanimously approved by French-Armenian organizations to hold popular elections for a representative leadership early next year. The French experience could serve as a most valuable precedent for other Diaspora communities.
    It was made clear at the conference that a single electoral plan cannot be applied uniformly to all Armenian communities. Since each community lives in a unique legal and political environment, it would be necessary to devise an appropriate plan for selecting representatives in each country, in consultations with local leaders.
    It was interesting to note that when Prof. Dekmejian asked the audience if they favored an elective Diaspora structure, almost everyone raised their hands, indicating enthusiastic support for establishing a united Diaspora leadership framework.
    The proceedings of the symposium could be viewed on the following website:

  • Sassounian’s column of Nov. 18, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Nov. 18, 2010

    U.S. Documents Reveal Pres. Bush’s
    Duplicity on the Armenian Genocide
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    In a highly informative book, “Children of Armenia: A Forgotten Genocide and Century-long Struggle for Justice,” Michael Bobelian has exposed important, but little known facts about the long history of attempts to get the Armenian Genocide recognized by the United States.
    One of Bobelian’s more notable revelations is the apparent contradiction between Vice President George H. W. Bush senior’s promise to the Armenian-American community to acknowledge the Genocide after he is elected President and his administration’s agreement with Turkey to block such an acknowledgment.
    While running for President in 1988, Vice President George Bush issued the following statement: “The United States must acknowledge the attempted genocide of the Armenian people in the last years of the Ottoman Empire, based on the testimony of survivors, scholars, and indeed our own representatives at the time, if we are to ensure that such horrors are not repeated.” Bush is the only Vice President who has made such a pledge on the Armenian Genocide.
    After assuming the presidency in January 1989, however, Pres. Bush ignored his commitment on the Armenian Genocide, and actively tried to persuade the U.S. Congress not to recognize it. Within months of his election, Bush wrote to Senators Bob Dole and George Mitchell, and Congressmen Tom Foley, Richard Michel, Richard Gephardt, Janet Mullins, and Richard Lehman, informing them of his opposition to the pending congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
    On April 20, 1990, Pres. Bush issued his only “Presidential Message” on the occasion of “Armenian Remembrance Day,” without, however, using the term “Armenian Genocide.” He spoke about “…the terrible massacres suffered in 1915-1923 at the hands of the rulers of the Ottoman Empire. The United States responded to the victims of the crime against humanity by leading international diplomatic and private relief efforts…. On this 75th anniversary of the massacres, I wish to join with Armenians and all peoples in observing April 24, 1990 as a day of remembrance for the more than a million Armenian people who were victims. I call upon all peoples to work to prevent future acts of inhumanity against mankind, and my comments of June 1988 represent the depth of my feeling for the Armenian people and the sufferings they have endured.”
    Over the years, analysts have offered different explanations as to why recent U.S. Presidents (except for Ronald Reagan) have not kept their promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Bobelian revealed that in 1987, a year before Vice President Bush made his promise to the Armenian-American community, the United States and Turkey had signed an extensive military and economic agreement, according to which the American government pledged to oppose any “inappropriate actions,” such as the pending congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
    During the official signing ceremony held at the State Department on March 16, 1987, Secretary of State George Shultz and Turkish Foreign Minister Vahit Halefoglu exchanged letters extending through December 1990 the bilateral Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement that had been in effect since March 29, 1980. According to this agreement, the United States made a commitment to provide high levels of military and economic support for Turkey. More significantly, Washington agreed to “vigorously oppose inappropriate actions which would be harmful to healthy U.S.-Turkish relations, to U.S.-Turkish military cooperation or to our efforts to provide security assistance to Turkey based on the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces.”
    When the 1980 agreement expired in 1985, the Turkish government cleverly dragged out the negotiations for its extension, while escalating its demands from the United States. After a series of diplomatic exchanges that lasted two full years, the Turkish side succeeded in extracting more and more concessions from the U.S., including the commitment to block congressional resolutions on the Armenian Genocide.
    Vice President Bush must have known in 1988, when he made his deceptive promise on the Armenian Genocide, that the United States government had already signed an agreement with Turkey in 1987, pledging to “vigorously oppose inappropriate actions” that would damage U.S.-Turkish relations.
    After Pres. Reagan’s Proclamation of April 22, 1981 and the two House resolutions adopted in 1975 and 1984 acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish government had good reason to insist on language in the 1987 agreement to block any further acknowledgments of the Armenian Genocide.
    The Turkish scheme worked! Breaking his pledge to the Armenian community, Pres. Bush successfully lobbied the Senate in 1990 to prevent the passage of a resolution on the Armenian Genocide.