WASHINGTON TRIP UNLIKELY, PM SIGNALS

Hurriyet
March 16 2010
Turkey

In an indication that diplomatic tensions continue between Ankara and
Washington, Turkey’s prime minister has signaled that he is unlikely
to participate in the international energy summit U.S. President
Barack Obama will host in April.

Following a U.S. House committee’s passing of a resolution March 4
recognizing the deaths of Armenians in 1915 as "genocide," observers
have been waiting to see if Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan will attend the Nuclear Security Summit in the United States
on April 12.

"We don’t have a scheduled visit to the U.S.," Erdogan told reporters
late Monday before departing for London. "We have received only an
invitation, which is routine. A colleague of ours may participate,
but we have not yet assigned a specific person."

Erdogan’s hesitation did not come as a surprise to observers in
Ankara, especially after the prime minister cancelled a visit to
Stockholm following the approval of a similar resolution by the
Swedish parliament.

"I think Erdogan will not announce his final decision until the last
moment. Unless President Obama assures Ankara that the U.S. Congress
will not approve the genocide bill, he will not go to Washington,"
a source close to the prime minister told the Hurriyet Daily News &
Economic Review on Tuesday.

In protest of the two resolutions, Ankara recalled its ambassadors
to both Stockholm and Washington, D.C., last week.

During a recent visit to Riyadh, Erdogan said: "I don’t believe the
U.S. would sacrifice a strategic partner such as Turkey for such
trivial political calculations. We have nothing to say if they take
the risk."

At the time, Erdogan appeared wary of returning his ambassador to
Washington.

"We will assess the situation in the broadest meaning; we have to,"
he said. "As long as we don’t see the results [Turkey desires],
we will not be sending our ambassador back to the U.S."

Energy minister waiting for green light from PM

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız also said Tuesday that Turkey has made
no final decision about whether to join the upcoming nuclear summit
in the U.S. capital.

"That’s why we will be following further developments. Later we will
discuss the issue with Mr. Prime Minister," Yıldız told reporters.

The energy minister said he still hoped for "a positive development
in relation to the 1915 events" – meaning that the full U.S. Congress
would not ultimately approve the Armenian "genocide" resolution.

Highlighting a U.S.-Turkish joint plan to drill for oil in the Black
Sea, Yıldız said: "I don’t think any outside effect will damage these
joint projects. We will continue our collaboration, but we also believe
that this wrongdoing [by the U.S. House committee] will be corrected."