TURKEY NOT TO SEND BACK ITS AMBASSADOR TO US, ERDOGAN

ANSAmed
March 9, 2010 Tuesday 3:51 PM CET
Italy

(ANSAmed) Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would
not send back its ambassador to U.S. before seeing clear results,
as Anatolia news agency reports from in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where
he was set to receive the ‘King Faisal International Prize’.

On March 4, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador in Washington
D.C. Namik Tan minutes after a U.S. congressional panel approved
a resolution labelling the incidents of 1915 as "genocide". The
resolution on Armenian allegations related to the incidents of 1915
was adopted at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign
Affairs in a voting of 23-22. Shortly after the measure passed
the committee voting, Turkish government said in a statement that
Ambassador Tan had been recalled to Ankara for consultations. Speaking
to reporters, Erdogan said that adoption of the resolution concerned
Turkey, adding that the U.S. was a strategic ally and partner of
Turkey. Erdogan said that the decision was not binding, however,
the attitude was important. He said that the attitude of the U.S. in
the next period was very important for Turkey, adding that Turkey
was waiting for the attitude the U.S. would assume next.

Erdogan noted that he did not believe the U.S. would sacrifice its
strategic partner for simple political discussions. He said that
Turkey would assess the situation in a large scale, and would not
send back its ambassador before seeing a clear result.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on October 10, 2009 to
normalize relations between the two countries. The protocols envisage
the two countries to establish diplomatic ties and open the border
that has been close since 1993.