Communications Director Fahrettin Altun commented on the House of Representatives’ draft bill as follows: "The House of Representatives’ draft bill threatening sanctions against Turkey is in direct contradiction to the spirit of a strategic alliance.”
Altun made a statement on his Twitter account and responded to The House of Representatives’ draft bill on sanctions against Turkey by using Peace Spring Operation as an excuse and on recognition of 1915 events as “genocide”.
Altun tweeted: "The House of Representatives’ draft bill threatening sanctions against Turkey is in direct contradiction to the spirit of a strategic alliance.” and indicated that such a bill at a time when the US administration and Turkey were aiming to reach $100 billion trade violated the US government’s policy.
Altun described the attempt to sanction a NATO ally in order to protect a terrorist organization as a strategic shortsightedness and detachment from realities on the ground, and noted the following:
"This draft bill cannot deter Turkey’s determination to fight against all terror organizations.
It simply threatens and damages the outlook of the future of our bilateral relations. These brazen efforts to damage our relationship will have long-lasting detrimental consequences on many areas of existing bilateral cooperation. We will continue to convey our legitimate security concerns in all international platforms and to fight against terrorism in all its forms for international security and peace in our region.”
“We have lived together in this region for hundreds of years”
Altun stated that the adoption of the draft bill recognizing the events of 1915 as ‘genocide’ by the US House of Representatives was troublesome for anyone who cares about the US-Turkey relationship.
Stressing that those who voted “for” this resolution would be responsible for the deterioration of a critical strategic relationship in a turbulent region, Altun said:
“President Erdoğan has already expressed sympathy and conveyed his condolences to the Armenian community. He also expressed our willingness to establish a joint historical commission to investigate what happened during the First World War. Politicization of history for political needs is unacceptable. We call on our Armenian brothers and sisters not to make their history a tool of domestic political considerations. We’ve lived together in this region for hundreds of years. History taught us that such interventions by outsiders, who have already brought much pain to our region, will not bring any good to our relations.”