Experts say lack of trust between Ankara and Washington jeopardizes ties
Trust in bilateral relations between Turkey and the US is so eroded that the two NATO allies could be subject to deeper diplomatic disputes although Ankara and Washington recently have taken steps to resolve a visa crisis, experts said.
“Bilateral ties are in such bad state. Therefore Turkey and the United States have faced another crisis about the statements, while trying to resolve the visa crisis. That’s all because of the mutual distrust,” Deniz Zeyrek, daily Hurriyet commentator said.
Zeyrek was referring to mutual statements made by the Turkish Embassy in Washington and the US Embassy in Ankara on Monday to announce resumption of visa services for citizens on limited base.
The Turkey-US visa row was sparked on October 8, when the US Embassy in Ankara announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals, following the arrest of a local employee at the US Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.
Turkey will resume processing visa applications at its diplomatic missions in the US on a “limited basis,” Turkey’s Embassy in Washington announced on its Twitter account late Monday, shortly after the embassy issued a new statement challenging the US Embassy announcement, which said the Turkish government provided assurances about the safety of staff at its missions there. The Turkish Embassy then stated that Ankara has not given any assurances regarding ongoing jurisdiction files.
Resumption of visa services came on the eve of a fourday visit to the US by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, during which he is set to meet with Vice President Mike Pence at the White House, signaling a tentative improvement and easing a nearly month-long visa row in bilateral ties.
Turkish-US relations are facing many ups and downs in recent years, with the latest of them erupted after the arrest of US Istanbul Consulate local employee Metin Topuz on October 4 over espionage charges and alleged links to the group of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
US administration responded with suspension of visa facilities in Turkey, while Ankara retaliated in the same way.
The new administration of President Donald Trump was initially seen by Turkey as an opportunity to reset relations with its NATO ally, which had soured under former president Barack Obama’s tenure. The hopes were nourished when Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in April after his victory in a referendum that granted the Turkish leader sweeping powers.
However, spring weather in ties was short-lived as the new US administration boosted its support to the Syrian Kurds who are fighting the Islamic State, angering Ankara who sees the People’s Protection Units as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Turkey is also disappointed by US refusal to extradite Gulen, frustrated by the US detention of a Turkish-Iranian businessman and a Turkish state bank official for alleged involvement in a sanctions-busting scheme to sell gold to Iran.