Turkey-US relations on ‘honest ground,’ says FM Davutoğlu

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has responded to a written motion that was filed by main opposition CHP deputy Umut Oran in late summer. AA photo

Relations between allies Ankara and Washington are moving forward on “honest ground,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said, while maintaining that the absence of perfect harmony in Turkey’s relations with the United States did not necessarily pose “a contradiction.”

The recent statement by Davutoğlu came in response to a written motion filed by main opposition CHP deputy Umut Oran in late summer. The motion was addressed to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following U.S. condemnation of Erdoğan's comments accusing Israel of having a hand in the Egyptian military’s overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi.

“We strongly condemn the statements that were made by Prime Minister Erdoğan today. Suggesting that Israel is somehow responsible for recent events in Egypt is offensive, unsubstantiated, and wrong,” White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said in August.

Earlier on the same day, speaking to provincial leaders of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Erdoğan said: “What do they say in Egypt? Democracy is not the ballot box. What is behind it? Israel. We have documentation in our hands.”

Recalling that Earnest also said that such statements only distract from the need for all countries in the region to work together constructively, Oran asked Erdoğan about his plan in order to have peace prevail in the Middle East, and whether he would contact U.S. President Barack Obama in order to voice his reaction against Earnest.

The response came from Davutoğlu on behalf of Erdoğan. “Our manners and approaches on some issues may naturally not be always matching 100 percent with friendly countries or our NATO allies, with whom we have been in close cooperation in every field,” Davutoğlu said.

“But a situation like this is not posing a contradiction in our friendly relations with the U.S. ... As a matter of fact, it indicates that relations are proceeding on a dynamic and honest ground,” he added. 

Davutoğlu chose not to elaborate on a phrase floated by Erdoğan’s top foreign policy advisor İbrahim Kalın, “precious loneliness,” despite Oran particularly basing one of his questions on this phrase.