Turkey Pulls Ambassador to United States

Turkey pulled its U.S. ambassador Thursday, reacting to a congressional panel’s condemning as genocide mass killings of Armenians in Turkey after World War I.

The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee passed the measure 27-21 Wednesday and forwarded it to the full chamber for consideration, even though U.S. President George Bush and other administration members lobbied against it.

A top Turkish official Thursday said consequences won’t be pleasant if the full House approves the resolution.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, in a statement to the Anatolian News Agency, said, This unacceptable decision of the committee has no validity and is not worthy of the respect of the Turkish people.

In Ankara, the youth branch of the Workers’ Party placed a black wreath at the entrance to the U.S. Embassy and spray-painted the Turkish flag on an embassy wall, The New York Times reported. Protesters also took to the streets around Turkey Thursday demonstrating against the committee vote.