Erdogan Says He No Longer Recognizes Current U.S. Ambassador

Amid increasing diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Turkey following the detention of a U.S. consulate employee and the suspension of visa issuance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his government no longer recognizes John Bass, the U.S. ambassador in Ankara, as Washington's representative. Erdogan stated during a press conference in Serbia, "To be frank: we do not recognize him (John Bass) as the representative of the United States in Turkey." He added that "we did not start these issues" and accused Washington of escalating tensions between the two countries. Just a day before these remarks, Erdogan had expressed his discontent over the suspension of visa issuance at U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkey, calling it "disturbing". On Sunday, following news of the arrest of a Turkish employee of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul on charges of "espionage" and links to Fethullah Gülen, Washington announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa issuance for Turkish citizens. Shortly after, Turkey suspended its visa issuance for U.S. citizens. The Turkish government claims that Gülen is the main culprit behind last year's failed coup and that the movement stemming from his ideology is a "terrorist group". Gülen, who resides in the United States, has denied any connection to the coup. The suspension of visas is not the only recent diplomatic and political tension between Ankara and Washington, as the two countries also have clear disagreements over Erdogan's security officials confronting protesters in the U.S. and the case of Reza Zarrab and the indictment against several former Turkish government officials. A U.S. State Department spokesperson stated that the decision to suspend visas was coordinated with the White House. Erdogan said that if the suspension of visas for Turkish citizens was decided by U.S. government leaders, then Ankara has no reason to negotiate with the United States. Heather Nauert, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, reiterated previous statements from the U.S. embassy regarding the "baseless" nature of the accusations against the consulate employee, stating, "These actions have deeply concerned us... We have seen no evidence or proof that our employees are connected to the allegations made by the [Turkish] government." The Turkish state news agency reported on Monday that the Turkish prosecutor's office summoned another local employee of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul. However, AFP reported that the summoned individual is currently at the consulate, but Turkish authorities arrested his wife and son on Monday and then his daughter on Tuesday. Erdogan claimed the next day that "agents" against his government had "infiltrated" the U.S. consulate in Istanbul and that "all of this shows that something is happening at the Istanbul consulate." These harsh remarks came after the Turkish Prime Minister had expressed hope that "tensions would soon end." The U.S. State Department has called for access for the detained employee to a lawyer as a "suitable start to reduce tensions." The U.S. embassy in Ankara also stated on Monday that the duration of the visa suspension for Turkish citizens depends on "Turkey's commitment to protecting facilities and the security of personnel" in that country. No report has yet been published regarding Turkey's response to these demands. This is the second time in recent months that a U.S. consulate employee in Turkey has been detained; previously, another employee was arrested in the Adana consulate in March, and a third employee is still being pursued. The current U.S. ambassador's mission in Ankara is set to end soon, although the State Department spokesperson has expressed "full support" for him, stating he is one of the best diplomats in the country. Reports indicate that the recent tensions have negatively impacted the Istanbul stock market and the value of the lira against the dollar.