TURKEY’S ERDOGAN CALLS END TO CRISIS OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
World Tribune
April 5 2010
ANKARA — Turkey has decided to end its crisis with the United States.
Officials said the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has
relayed to Washington Turkey’s intention to restore full diplomatic
and military relations with the United States. They said Ankara was
persuaded that the administration of President Barack Obama would not
allow passage of a non-binding resolution that blamed Turkey for the
killing of 1.5 million Armenians in World War I.
"There have been positive developments," Erdogan said.
In a briefing on April 2, the prime minister said he would order the
return of Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan. On March 4,
Tan was recalled from the United States hours after the House Foreign
Affairs Committee adopted the Armenian genocide resolution.
"I will send the ambassador to the United States next week,"
Erdogan said.
The prime minister said he would travel to Washington to attend a
nuclear security summit on April 12. The prime minister had earlier
said he had canceled the visit to the United States.
"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. "I will be going to the United States."
Officials said Erdogan held several telephone conversations with
Obama and senior administration officials. They said the president
as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to press the
Democratic leadership to stop the Armenian genocide resolution from
reaching the House floor.
"Everyone smiled at him when he [Erdogan] vowed not to go [to
Washington]," Turkish parliamentary opposition leader Deniz Baykal
recalled. "Within only 25 days, he rotated 180 degrees."
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