THE U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONSHIP AND ARMENIA
By Michael Werz

Center For American Progress
April 5 2010

CAP Senior Fellow Michael Werz was interviewed by Voice of America
on April 2, 2010. The interview dealt with the recent U.S.-Turkish
debates after the Armenia resolution was passed by the House Foreign
Affairs Committee and with the visit of German chancellor Angela
Merkel to Ankara, reinvigorating a Turkish push for full membership
in the European Union.

In the interview Werz argues that the reaction of the Turkish
government recalling its ambassador from Washington and cancelling a
planned visit by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been harsher than
necessary. Both Turkey and the United States have more to lose than
to win when the relationship cannot be re-established to meet the
regional challenges.

Regarding the recent visits of the German chancellor in Ankara,
Werz commented that the Turkish press had seen a "warming" of Angela
Merkel toward Turkey that was hardly expected after stinging political
exchanges between the two countries before her arrival. Not only has
Germany vested economic interest in Turkey with 300 German companies
establishing branches in 2009 alone, Werz argued, but even within the
German conservative party an influential minority among foreign policy
expert urges a review of the stiff opposition against Turkish E.U.

membership.

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