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The more we appease the Muslim world, the more we will have to do so in the future. I'm sorry you disagree with my anti-appeasement stand.

Anti-appeasement has nothing to do with it. Turkey is a fellow member of NATO with a very important geostrategic position. We have US military bases in Turkey, which have served us well in the Cold War, the Gulf War, and in the present war in Iraq. By a narrow vote in the Turkish parliament, we were denied the ability to transit Turkey to invade Iraq with the 4th ID. That hurt our ability to end the war more quickly. And we will need Turkey in dealing with Russia over Georgia. There are also important gas and oil lines that cross Turkey and are important to providing energy supplies to Europe.

You seem to believe that we must go out of our way to confront the non-existent "Muslim World." Turkey is a muslim country who is an allie. Our Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain, a muslim country. We have prepositioned military supplies in muslim countries like Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE. Centcom Forward is located in Doha. And many of these countries buy military weapons and other goods and services from us that help our economy and lower our military unit costs for aircraft, missiles, etc. And without our ability to use Pakistan [a muslim country] as a transit and logistical base, we would have a very difficult time prosecuting the war in Afghanistan.

There are reasons why we don't try to piss people off unnecessarily and why past adminsitrations did not touch sensitive subjects like Armenian genocide with the Turks. Turkish diplomats have been assassinated in the US and around the world by Armenian terrorists.

January 27, 1973 - Santa Barbara, California, United States: Gourgen Yanikian, an elderly U.S. citizen of Armenian origin, assassinates Los Angeles Turkish Consul General, Mehmet Baydar, and Vice Consul, Bahadir Demir, after inviting the Turkish diplomats to his hotel suite to present the Turkish Government with a "gift." Soon after killing the diplomats, Yanikian surrenders to police, is tried in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Santa Barbara, is convicted of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Ten years later, California Governor George Deukmejian, who is of Armenian descent, orders the release of Yanikian, who dies of natural causes soon thereafter. The Armenian Reporter, commemorates Yanikian, declaring that he had "opened [a] new era of political struggle" and "changed the course of Armenian history."

"January 28, 1982 - Los Angeles, California, United States: Two Armenian gunmen assassinate Turkish Consul General, Kemal Arikan, in his automobile while waiting at an intersection. Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide (JCAG) claims responsibility. One of the assassins, Hampig Sassounian, a 19-year-old Armenian American member of the Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide (JCAG), is arrested shortly thereafter. Sassounian's father states on public television, "I am glad that a Turk was killed, but my son did not do it." Sassounian's accomplice, believed to be Krikor Saliba, escapes to Beirut. Los Angeles police search Sassounian's automobile, seizing a .357 caliber bullet and a one-way airline ticket from Los Angeles to Beirut. Police also search Sassounian's home, where they seize a gun receipt, pistol targets, and a manifesto of "The Armenian Youth Federation." Although Sassounian pleads not guilty, the Court convicts him of first-degree murder and sentences to life imprisonment. Sassounian's sentence is later changed to 25 years-life in an appeal agreement in which he finally confesses to the killing. On October 6, 1980 a first attempt was made on Arikan's life, when his home was firebombed.

We already ignore the crimes of the communists too much. By the way, Turks spend big money in academia so this won't be taught.

You are living in an idealized world where everything is black and white, good and bad. Unfortunately, those of us who live in the real world don't have that luxury. The choices are not that easy.