ANKARA
A U.S. draft resolution calling on people to remember and observe the anniversary of the Armenian "genocide", approved Thursday by U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was criticized by two top Turkish cabinet ministers.
On a visit to Japan, Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu said he expects the resolution to be rejected by the U.S. Senate.
The bill reaffirms that the memory of the men, women and children who were allegedly killed in the events of 1915 be honoured, according to Committee chairman Robert Menendez.
Speaking before the meeting of the non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative in Hiroshima on Friday, Davutoglu said; "These kind of exploitations do not work out well. Nobody benefits from the deterioration of Turkey - US relations," said the foreign minister.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan also criticized the resolution.
On a visit to Washington for an IMF and World Bank meeting he said "an issue about something that happened a century ago, that is not even scientifically proven if it actually happened or not is being used as a domestic policy tool in US, this is not correct."
Turkey's Foreign Ministry in a statement said that the draft resolution, which they harshly reject, was prepared in a 'hastily and amateurish' way.
Since World War I, the Armenian diaspora claims that the events of the era constituted a “genocide.” The Turkish government completely rejects this charge.
The foreign minister also said the events should be investigated by the historians and should not be used as a 'political tool'.
"Getting any third country involved in the issue will have a highly negative influence," said Davutoglu, calling the Armenian diaspora not to be provocative.
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