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On September 17, the Senate voted 98-0 to confirm the nomination of John R. Bass as the next U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

As previously reported, Bass' nomination received stiff questioning on Armenian American concerns from Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Ed Markey (D-MA) prior to his confirmation.

"We commend Chairman Menendez, and Senators Barbara Boxer, Mark Kirk and Ed Markey for their stance on issues concerning Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish-Azerbaijani blockade of Armenia, and other critical issues affecting the region," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Following in the footsteps of Henry Morgenthau, the U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire who in 1915 alerted the world to the Armenian Genocide, it is important that our Foreign Service officers execute a foreign policy that appropriately reflects America's values."

In addition to the full Senate vote on Bass' nomination, the SFRC held a hearing today on the nomination of Richard M. Mills and Robert F. Cekuta to serve as U.S. ambassador to Armenia and Azerbaijan, respectively.

During the SFRC hearing, Subcommittee Chairman for European Affairs Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Ron Johnson (R-WI) questioned the nominees for U.S. ambassador to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Chairman Murphy noted that Russia has sometimes played a constructive role in the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, while at other times not. He asked the nominees how they see Russia in this regard. Both Mills and Cekuta indicated that the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) James Warlick has a good working relationship with his Russian counterpart. The United States, Russia, and France serve as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The OSCE Minsk Group "remains the best process" in achieving peace in Nagorno Karabakh, Mills said, while Cekuta stated that the Minsk Group process enjoys the confidence of all parties. Cekuta emphasized that "there is no military solution to this conflict." Mills reiterated that "any settlement will require respect for basic principles contained in international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act, and three principles will be key to any settlement: the non-use of force, non-threat of use of force; respect for territorial integrity; and respect for the self-determination of peoples."

Senator Murphy noted concern about the increasing number of individuals imprisoned in Azerbaijan that seem to be politically motivated. Murphy indicated that he, along with Senators Durbin and Cardin, recently sent a letter outlining their concerns to Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev. The Assembly, for its part, in a letter to Chairman Menendez also outlined concerns with respect to Azerbaijan.

Later in the hearing, Senator Johnson expressed his disappointment with Turkey on several fronts, including its refusal to allow the U.S. airbase in Turkey to be used to help combat the growing ISIL threat, as well as its move toward an Islamic, autocratic government.

In concluding the hearing, Senator Murphy indicated that the SFRC may vote to approve Mills and Cekuta as early as Thursday, September 18.

 Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.