YEREVAN (RFE/RL), March 11 – According to a report by the Turkish newspaper Radikal, official Ankara intends to abstain from bilateral relations with Washington until April 24, when president Obama turns to the Armenian people with his speech.

The newspaper reads that particularly after the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Turkish ministers and senior officials canceled all their previously arranged visits to Washington.

Turkish Trade Minister Zafer Chaglayan, who was to leave for Washington with a group of businessmen, also renounced his visit. The decision was taken at the beginning of the week during the meeting of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was attended also by the Turkish Ambassador to the US, Namik Tan.

In the next few days Tan will continue consultations with the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Davutoglu. “However, it’s not yet known exactly when the Turkish Ambassador will return to Washington,” Davutoglu said.

On Tuesday the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan announced that official Ankara will not send the Ambassador back to the US, until the fate of the Armenian Genocide resolution is clear.

“The document was adopted in rather unfavorable times,” said Prime Minister Erdogan. He added that Armenia and Turkey are making efforts to developing bilateral relations.

Hoping that the US will not be eager to lose such a strategic ally as Turkey, Erdogan mentioned: “If Washington still decides to go forward, we will evaluate the situation from a broader perspective and will take necessary steps.”

According to the Turkish newspaper Zaman, supporters of the resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide do not intend to insist on bringing the resolution to a vote during the plenary session of the House of Representatives. “We will take this step only when we are sure that we have enough voices supporting the adoption of the resolution,” said pro-Armenian Congressman Adam Schiff, the co-author of the draft resolution.

Translated from Russian by Yerevan Report

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