Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would not send back its ambassador to U.S. before seeing clear results.
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 in Saudi Arabia, 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.
Turkey and Armenia also agreed to take steps to operate a sub-commission on impartial scientific examination of the historical records and archive to define existing problems and formulate recommendations, in which Armenian, Turkish as well as Swiss and other international experts would take part. However, on January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of Armenia declared a decision of constitutional conformity on the protocols. Turkey thought the fifth article of Armenian Constitutional Court's verdict regarding the protocols was against the target and basis of the protocols.
Also, in 2005, Turkey officially proposed to Armenian government the establishment of a joint commission of history composed of historians and other experts from both sides to study together the events of 1915 not only in the archives of Turkey and Armenia but also in the archives of all relevant third countries and to share their findings with the public.
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Photo: AA
