Turkish lobby probably affected the U.S. Federal Court decision to recognize unconstitutional the California law on paying the indemnities to descendants of Armenian Genocide victims. Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Science told NEWS.am. However, Safrastyan is confident that Armenian lobby can struggle against this decision accordingly.

“It is hard to say what steps should be taken on this very issue, however Armenian lobby in U.S. is long standing, having close ties in American bodies of Government and enjoying the backing of American people,” he said, adding that the lobby will surely find the way out.
Safrastyan is surprised that adopting the law in year 2000, the interference into other states’ and presidents’ policy was out of question, while today the U.S. Federal Court refers to this fact.

The expert underlined that recently U.S. devotes more attention to Turkey. Firstly, due to Obama’s Administration enhancement of activities in Afghanistan, Turkey has the main transit bases that Washington uses for redeployment of forces. Secondly, the major priority of Obama’s foreign policy is to normalize relations with Islamic world, that worsened considerably under no mere chance, that Obama scheduled to visit Turkey first within the frames of his visit program to Muslim countries," Safrastyan outlined.

Ruben Safrastyan reminded of Obama’s pro-Armenian position earlier, when being a Senator. However, it has changed once he came to power. The expert pins his hopes on U.S. Congress, particularly that it would manage to pass 106 Resolution on Armenian Genocide. “It is not ruled out that U.S. Administration will take pro-Armenian position, when once again disappointed with Turkey,” the expert concluded.