Will Erdoğan Visit US Before April 24?

The two resolutions recently adopted by the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Swedish parliament (riksdag) have sparked suspicions whether the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will go to the US after such a blow to Turkish foreign policy.

“There is an invitation from the US but no visit is planned to the United States,” Erdoğan said, while responding to journalists at the airport before departing for Great Britain.

“You posed the same question to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Cemil Çiçek after the session of the Minister’s Council. He answered you properly, and my answer now in no way differs [from his answer]. At this moment we have not planned any visits to the United States; there is only an invitation,” said Erdoğan.

Earlier, before the US congressional resolution on Armenian Genocide was adopted, Turkish media reported that Erdoğan is set to visit the US on April 12. Turkish Deputy Foreign Minster Feridun Sinirlioğlu even left for the US to prepare.

Whether Erdoğan will change his mind and go to Washington is anybody’s guess as he cancelled a similar visit to Stockholm after the Swedish riksdag adopted a resolution on recognizin Armenian Genocide.