re: #11 garzooma

The U.S. is responsible for how it responds to Turkey’s denial.

The U.S. is also responsible first and foremost for guarding American interests in the region, up to and including our ability to utilize Turkish assets & permissions that enable us to provide logistical support for military and other strategic operations in the area—not only for the U.S., but also for our NATO allies. You might want to read up on that:

U.S.-Turkey Relations

U.S.-Turkish friendship dates to 1831, when the United States established diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire. After World War I and the founding of the Turkish Republic, the United States established diplomatic relations with Turkey in 1927. U.S.-Turkey relations advanced further with the Economic and Technical Cooperation agreement signed July 12, 1947, which implemented the Truman Doctrine and its policy “to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”

Turkey has been a NATO Ally since 1952 and continues to be an important security partner for the United States and Transatlantic alliance. Turkey is a leader in the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, facilitates the transport of non-lethal logistical support for operations in Afghanistan through Incirlik Air Base, and represents NATO’s vital eastern anchor, controlling (in accordance with international conventions) the straits of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, which link the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. Turkey also borders Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and is a key partner for U.S. policy in the surrounding region.

The U.S.-Turkey partnership is based on mutual interests and mutual respect and is focused on areas such as regional security and stability, as well as economic cooperation.

The United States also stands in solidarity with Turkey in the fight against terrorism. Counterterrorism cooperation is a key element of our strategic partnership.

U.S. Assistance to Turkey

U.S. security assistance seeks to maximize Turkish cooperation with other countries, especially Afghanistan, and enhance the interoperability of the Turkish military with other North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces, as well as strengthen strategic trade controls and border security. The U.S. also seeks to assist Turkey in realizing the democratic aspirations of its citizens and provides grants to this end to civil society organizations. […]

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3432.htm

Should there be a serious rift between the U.S. and Turkey—over an event that happened 100 years ago and which other U.S. presidents haven’t risked the relationship over—then exactly who, pray tell, do you think has the ability to replace them as a strategic partner?

I live in the U.S., not Turkey, so what the U.S. does matters more to me. Denying the Smithsonian access to a rug made by orphans is a pretty egregious way to respond to Turkey’s denial.

I live in the U.S. too, so what? Turkey shares borders with three countries that are in the news every single day—Syria, Iraq and Iran. The first two are basically failed states and the other is a powerful regional player. As I’ve already pointed out, Turkey is an important strategic partner to the U.S. and since I don’t have access to the classified intelligence reports President Obama reads every day, I’m not going to second-guess him WRT how he chooses to carry out relations with them.

Do you disagree?

Nice try, but that tactic isn’t going work. My opinions on matters of genocide are well-known here based on the comments and Pages I’ve posted here over the past five years. Try again.

You do know what “FWIW” means, right?

You do know what “His opinions are worth less than nothing,” means, right? In case you still don’t get it, it’s highly unlikely that anything coming out of his mouth will be regarded here with interest or surprise. Quoting him for any other reason than to ridicule his febrile rantings won’t get you anywhere.