Atlasia-Turkey Free Trade Bill (Law'd)

[tmthforu94]

I support this bill. Free trade helps our economy, as well as other nations.

[tmthforu94]

Turkey's record in oppressing journalists and suppressing discussion of their government's role in the Armenian genocide is quite worrying - and this is something that the Senate has criticized them for in the past.  I do wonder whether this would influence their desire to not remove tariffs on us while appreciating that we have removed tariffs on them?  (Given the wording of these bills, there is no guarantee that the other country will necessarily reciprocate the removal of tariffs.)

The sad thing about this is that it was the Ottoman Empire, not the nation of Turkey, that committed the genocide. And it is terrible that the US allows Turkey to blackmail us into not recognizing such an atrocity of human history.

Of course. But it is a crime in Turkey to explicitly recognize the Turkish nation's role in the genocide, or even to acknowledge the genocide itself.

I know. The fact that they can't move on, even though, it's been almost a century, it sidgusting. My aunt is a high school teacher, and every year she brings in Armenian speakers to talk to her class about the genocide.

Or maybe they just don't feel comfortable talking about it, as it still hurts many families. Countries don't like bringing up what they did wrong. I mean, I don't beleive the Holucaust is really mentioned in German history books at schools. America's books don't really bring out our faults either.

[tmthforu94]

Turkey's record in oppressing journalists and suppressing discussion of their government's role in the Armenian genocide is quite worrying - and this is something that the Senate has criticized them for in the past.  I do wonder whether this would influence their desire to not remove tariffs on us while appreciating that we have removed tariffs on them?  (Given the wording of these bills, there is no guarantee that the other country will necessarily reciprocate the removal of tariffs.)

The sad thing about this is that it was the Ottoman Empire, not the nation of Turkey, that committed the genocide. And it is terrible that the US allows Turkey to blackmail us into not recognizing such an atrocity of human history.

Of course. But it is a crime in Turkey to explicitly recognize the Turkish nation's role in the genocide, or even to acknowledge the genocide itself.

I know. The fact that they can't move on, even though, it's been almost a century, it sidgusting. My aunt is a high school teacher, and every year she brings in Armenian speakers to talk to her class about the genocide.

Or maybe they just don't feel comfortable talking about it, as it still hurts many families. Countries don't like bringing up what they did wrong. I mean, I don't beleive the Holucaust is really mentioned in German history books at schools. America's books don't really bring out our faults either.

blablabla. It isn't a criminal offense in Germany to recognize the Holocaust nor is it a criminal offense to recognize Indian massacres in the US.

I know that. I was just trying to make somewhat of an example for what Alex Ham said, and that a lot of countries try to cover up the past.
 I don't think Turkey saying that talking about the genocide is a criminal offense is a great reason not to have free trade with them, so I do support this bill.

[tmthforu94]

Aye

[tmthforu94]

Heartening.

Thank you Mr. President.