US, Turkey try to contain chill in relations
US-Turkey relations have seen better days.
US annoyance with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, over his barely veiled allegations that the United States was behind the Gezi Park protests, has been apparent for some time. Washington has, nevertheless, given him the benefit of the doubt due to Turkey’s geopolitical importance and alliance with the West, especially at a time of turmoil in the Middle East.
New accusations by Erdogan, following the Dec. 17 corruption scandal, have aggravated matters, and it seems that in Washington, patience with him and his party is wearing thin. A rise in negative commentary and editorials on Turkey in the US media — including the views of two former US ambassadors to Ankara — shows that not all is well in Turkish-US ties.