Turkey warns U.S. of strained relations

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Turkey's military commander said relations with the United States would plummet if a congressional resolution on Armenian genocide proceeds.

In an interview published in the Milliyet newspaper on Sunday, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said the non-binding resolution passed last week declaring Turkey was responsible for genocide in 1915 was diplomatically unacceptable.

"If this resolution passed in the committee passes the House (of Representatives) as well, our military ties with the U.S. will never be the same again," Buyukanit said. "The United States is clearly an important ally but an allied country does not behave in this way."

The Bush administration has condemned the resolution and officials warned Congress Turkey could limit crucial air and land supply lines into Iraq in retaliation if the measure passes a full House of Representatives vote, The Washington Post reported Monday.

In a telephone interview with the Post from Ankara, Ross Wilson, U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said Turkish officials haven't discussed any specific measures they might take if the resolution passes.

Turkey has always maintained the death of 1.5 million Armenians was collateral from World War I and not a planned purge.