U.S. Secretary of State Expresses 'Deep Concern' Over Arrest of Consulate Employees in Turkey

According to the U.S. State Department, Rex Tillerson expressed his 'deep concern' during a phone call with Mevlut Cavusoglu regarding the detention of local staff at U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkey. The phone conversation between the foreign ministers of the United States and Turkey took place on October 11, and the U.S. Secretary of State requested that the Turkish government provide evidence and documentation supporting the accusations against the detained employee. This phone call was the first contact between the foreign ministers since the arrest of the consulate employee and the summons of another employee to the Turkish prosecutor's office. In March, another employee was also arrested at the consulate in Adana. Turkish media reported that Cavusoglu and Tillerson spoke for over half an hour. On Sunday, after some time had passed since the arrest of a local consulate employee, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced that in response to this incident, it would suspend the issuance of non-immigrant visas for Turkish citizens. Turkey also suspended the issuance of any visas for American citizens. Reports indicate that the Turkish prosecutor's office has accused the detained employee of 'espionage' and having ties to Fethullah Gülen. Ankara identifies Gülen as the main perpetrator of last year's failed coup and considers the movement stemming from his ideology a 'terrorist group.' Gülen resides in the United States, and Turkey's attempts to extradite him have been unsuccessful; he has denied any connection to last year's coup in Turkey. The day before the U.S. Secretary of State's phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he no longer recognizes the current U.S. ambassador in Ankara. He also added that if the suspension of visa issuance for Turkish citizens was taken by U.S. government leaders, Ankara would have no reason to negotiate with the United States. The U.S. State Department has stated that the White House is aware of the events and that Washington supports its ambassador in Ankara. Despite Erdogan's harsh statements, other Turkish officials have adopted a much more conciliatory approach. The Turkish Prime Minister expressed hope that relations between the two sides would 'return to normal in the short term.' His deputy, during a meeting in Washington, stated that Turkey guarantees the security of U.S. diplomatic staff and 'we do not want these problems to last more than a second.' U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis stated that the recent diplomatic tensions have not affected joint activities and military relations with the Turkish army.