Turkey and the United States blocked the entrance to each other
Ankara and Washington cease to be strategic allies
Relations between the US and Turkey are experiencing an acute crisis in decades. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, commenting on the suspension of issuance to citizens of non-immigrant U.S. visas, charged the United States with action inconsistent with the strategic partnership. The decision of the American authorities, to bring down the Turkish Lira and limit the freedom of movement of thousands of people, was taken in response to the arrest in Istanbul of two employees of the US Consulate General of Turkish nationality and the accused in the homeland in participation in anti-government conspiracy. The introduction of the “visa curtain” became a new stimulus in a long list of problems, transforming Turkey from a strategic base for the United States in the middle East as unyielding opponent.
Statement of Binali Yildirim, who became an escalation in relations between the US and Turkey, was made recently at his meeting with the parliamentary faction of the ruling Party of justice and development. Meeting with deputies took place against the backdrop of the collapse of stock indices and a sharp depreciation of the Turkish Lira, which reached the lowest since January 30.
“Strategic partners should not behave in great detail, to punish people,” the Prime Minister responded to made public on Sunday a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Ankara that the U.S. Embassy suspended the issuance of Turkish citizens of non-immigrant visas.
Explaining the arrest in Istanbul of two employees of the US Consulate General that led the American side to drop the “visa curtain”, the Prime Minister said the Turkish authorities opened criminal cases against Americans, but against the citizens of their own country.
And the fact that they work in the Consulate General of the United States, does not give them immunity from prosecution at home.
“Turkey is a legal state which does not need the permission of the US to detain someone, — said the head of the Turkish government and said, — No privileges for the suspects will not.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister yıldırım continued to comment on the visa scandal, Recalling the “mirror response” of Turkey (the country’s Embassy in the United States since the beginning of this week has suspended the issuance of visas to Americans). However, he expressed hope for “a speedy return of relations to normal.”
Recall that an unwitting culprit of the scandal was arrested on 4 October employee of the US Consulate, the citizen of Turkey Metin Topuz, who was charged with “violation of Constitution” and “attempt to unseat the government”. Topusa name surfaced during the investigation into the coup attempt made on 15 July last year, the opposition-minded forces.