World Tribune.com

Fence-menders sent by Turkey to U.S. only make matters worse

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, April 11, 2006

ANKARA — An attempt by Prime Minister Recep Erdogan to improve Turkish-U.S. relations has instead made them worse.

Erdogan sent two senior advisers to Washington to improve strained relations with the United States. The advisers ended up accusing the United States of supporting the Kurdish Workers Party, regarded by Ankara and Washington as a terrorist organization.

Erdogan sent advisers Saban Disli and Cüneyd Zapsu to the United States in wake of the cancellation of a visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Middle East Newsline reported. The two Erdogan aides met State Department and White House officials as well as members of Congress.

"People I talked to in the United States, especially people in Congress, asked where Turkey is heading," U.S. ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson was quoted by the Turkish media as saying.

In Washington, Disli and Zapsu defended Turkey's decision to invite Hamas for official talks in February 2006. Officials said members of Congress were astonished that the two advisers termed Hamas a political movement that deserved international recognition in wake of its victory in Palestinian legislative elections in January.

"They [members of Congress] were expressing concern and, even beyond concern, their anger," Wilson said. "They said, 'We cannot accept that a country like Turkey, which suffered much from terrorism, lets this happen.'"

Rep. Robert Wexler, a chairman of the Congressional Study Group on Turkey, agreed. During an address in Ankara on Monday, Wexler said he could not understand what benefit the Erdogan government achieved by hosting Hamas.

"To move the clock right forward in terms of the last month, the decision to have Hamas come to Ankara was met with almost total disbelief in Washington," Wexler said.

During his visit, Zapsu asserted that the United States has met PKK representatives. Zapsu was also said to have accused the administration of seeking to undermine Erdogan's rule.

"We'll be in power for six to seven more years," Zapsu was quoted by the Turkish media as saying in Washington. "The prime minister sent me to clarify certain issues. You should know how to utilize this man [Erdogan]. Utilize him instead of exerting efforts to remove him from power."

Parliamentarians said they would question members of the Turkish delegation. They said the remarks by Erdogan's aides harmed U.S.-Turkish relations.

"I was very upset when I heard about the remarks," Mehmet Dülger, chairman of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said. "I cannot accept such a statement on 'exploitation of the prime minister.'"

Erdogan has come under a severe opposition criticism for his policy toward the PKK amid an escalation in the insurgency. The opposition has accused Erdogan of being prepared to negotiate with the PKK.

"We have nothing to do with terror organizations at the table," Erdogan said. "We have nothing to talk about with villains, murderers, traitors."


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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