DAVID PHILLIPS mistakenly characterizes Turkish-Armenian rapprochement as on the brink of collapse in his Feb. 11 op-ed. Rather, full adoption of the Turkish-Armenian protocols depends largely on preventing the ultranationalist Armenian diaspora from sabotaging them. The Armenian-American lobby is trying to do this in part by urging a congressional genocide resolution.
The latest iteration of this resolution, like its failed predecessors, will naturally stir up ethnic antipathy and threaten US interests and credibility in the region. This resolution also threatens to derail the bold steps taken by Turkish and Armenian leaders to reorient themselves toward peace and mutual understanding.
The resolution threatens to contravene long-standing US policy to avoid such legislative enactments, and could violate our solemn treaty commitment to accept the International Court of Justice as the sole jurisdiction to hear genocide allegations.
Moreover, the measure threatens to offend members of the Turkish and Muslim world by incriminating them in a political body strong-armed by the Armenian-American lobby, rather than giving Turkey and its people a fair day in court.
The joint historical commission defined by the protocols is appropriately charged with a broad mandate to discover facts that will lead to reconciliation based on truth. The goal is to depoliticize what is really a question for historians. Passing the current House resolution would torpedo this objective.
Gunay Evinch,
President
Assembly of Turkish American Associations
Washington 
