TURK ENVOY TO RETURN TO US A MONTH AFTER ROW OVER ‘GENOCIDE’

Hurriyet
April 2 2010
Turkey

The strained relations between Ankara and Washington seem to be easing
as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepts President Barack
Obama’s invitation to a nuclear summit in Washington and announces
his decision to return Ambassador Namık Tan to the US capital

Turkish Ambassador to the US Namık Tan. AFP photo

Turkey has said it will send its ambassador back to the United States
next week, an indication of "positive developments" in an effort to
end the recent spat with Washington.

Ambassador Namık Tan was recalled to Ankara a month ago after a U.S.

House of Representatives committee voted March 4 to label the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915 as "genocide."

As he announced his decision to send Tan back to the U.S. capital,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said he would attend an
international nuclear security summit in Washington on April 12 and
13. The prime minister had previously cancelled the trip after the
House committee’s vote.

Erdogan made both announcements to reporters following a meeting with
party brass in Ankara, stressing "positive developments" in efforts
to ease tensions with Washington.

Relations between the two countries were strained last month when the
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs voted to recognize Armenian
"genocide" allegations by a margin of one vote. In protest, Turkey
recalled Ambassador Tan to Ankara for consultations.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a phone call to Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu late Sunday, urging Turkey to send Tan
back to his post and reiterating the invitation for the nuclear summit.

"I received an invitation five, six months ago to attend an
international event that other countries will also be attending and
that serves a good cause, to prevent the use and spreading of nuclear
weapons," Erdogan said Friday. "I will be going to the United States."

The phone conversation between Clinton and Davutoglu was a positive
signal, Erdogan said. "I hope these positive developments will continue
during my visit."

Davutoglu expressed his hope Wednesday that U.S. President Barack
Obama might take Turkey’s concerns about recognition of the Armenian
"genocide" into consideration in his April 24 statement commemorating
the 1915 deaths. Resolutions such as the one passed by the House
committee have a negative effect on the process of normalizing
Turkish-Armenian relations, Davutoglu added.

Armenian President Serge Sarkisian will also join the nuclear summit
in Washington. Sources in diplomatic circles say Obama is expected
to host a meeting between Erdogan and Sarkisian to provide a boost
to the normalization process.

When questioned on the topic, Erdogan confirmed that he would hold
talks on the sidelines of the nuclear summit and indicated that his
top priority is the "genocide" allegations.

"The nuclear issue is not the only topic on the agenda. There are
many other issues to discuss," he said. "[Talks in Washington] are
important chance and we will make use of this opportunity. We have
taken all the required steps up to now."

Opposition leader criticizes

Responding to Erdogan’s announcement about attending the summit in
Washington, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party criticized
the prime minister for "stepping back like always."

"I earlier said the PM would visit Washington and the ambassador would
go back," Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Deniz Baykal told
reporters Friday. "Now, he has come to the point I indicated earlier.

The PM often steps back."

Erdogan’s earlier pledge to skip the summit was not convincing, Baykal
said. "Everyone smiled at him when he vowed not to go [to Washington].

Within only 25 days, he rotated 180 degrees."

The opposition leader also linked Erdogan’s U.S. trip to police actions
in response to protests in Ankara by workers from the former state-run
alcohol and tobacco monopoly, or Tekel. "The intolerance [toward Tekel
workers] is not understandable," Baykal said. "He [Erdogan] got angry
with bowing to the U.S. and compensated himself on the Tekel workers."

Erdogan became angry upon hearing Baykal’s comments. "Why are you
interested in such a black-hearted comments? Do you really see any
connection?" the prime minister asked. "I think there is no need to
make a comment on this accusation."