Erdogan escalates row with US by not recognising ambassador
TURKEY: Turkey no longer recognises the United States ambassador to Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday, toughening his rhetoric amid a worsening row with the US, sparked by the arrest of an American consulate employee.
‘‘We do not recognise him as the representative of the United States of America in Turkey. I say this quite openly,’’ Erdogan said about John Bass during a news conference while on a trip to Serbia.
‘‘We did not start this problem,’’ Erdogan said, accusing the US of being responsible for the sharp deterioration in relations.
It was an escalation from the day before, when the Turkish leader had only expressed sadness over the row.
On Sunday, the US stopped offering non-immigrant visa services in Turkey, citing security concerns. Hours later, Turkish missions in the US took a similar step and also froze US passport holders out of an electronic visa system.
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US decision was co-ordinated with the White House.
The Turkish president said that if the suspension of visa services was decided at the top levels in Washington, then Ankara has nothing more to discuss with the US.
Nauert also said the State Department is disappointed by the arrest last week of a Turkish employee of the US consulate in Istanbul. Allowing the employee access to a lawyer ‘‘would be a good start to reduce tension,’’ Nauert said.
The employee is the second US staff member arrested this year, while a third employee is being sought for questioning while his family members are being held in custody.
Erdogan implied ‘‘agents’’ had infiltrated the US consulate in Istanbul.
The president’s words appeared to undercut earlier efforts by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to work towards a resolution.
Erdogan appears to be trying to place responsibility for the sharp deterioration in relations on Bass, who will soon take up a post in Afghanistan, after being appointed to Kabul by President Donald Trump.
Bass said he was not aware of any evidence against the employee arrested last week, saying the move ‘‘has raised questions about whether the goal of some officials is to disrupt the long-standing cooperation’’ between Washington and Ankara.