WASHINGTON — Turkey recalled its ambassador to Washington on Thursday and denounced as "unacceptable" a congressional panel's vote declaring the early 20th century slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide.
Even as the Bush administration scrambled to try to stem the diplomatic fallout, Turkish President Abdullah Gul castigated the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday for its 27-21 vote, saying the decision "has no validity and is not worthy of the respect of the Turkish people."
The withdrawal of Ambassador Nabi Sensoy, coming only hours after the committee vote Wednesday, was a clear signal of Turkish disapproval and is widely expected to be followed by retaliatory steps after weeks of threats that House action would have serious consequences.
Turkey is likely to calibrate its response, Turkish officials and independent analysts said. The government in Ankara could start with relatively mild moves and ratchet them up if the full House votes to adopt the nonbinding resolution later this year, as is expected. One early step may be for the Turkish parliament to authorize its military to cross into Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish extremists. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will request that authorization, which could come next week.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson to express the government's displeasure, and the head of Turkey's navy canceled a planned trip to Washington.
The Turkish military is set to cut back some routine contacts with U.S. military officials, analysts said. More serious steps may include reducing U.S. military access to crucial air and ground conduits through Turkey into the war theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey also may decide to recall some of its approximately 1,000 troops in Afghanistan and could bow out of U.S.-led efforts to counter Iran's nuclear program.
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who voted against the resolution, called the ambassador's recall "ominous but predictable" and warned that it "could foreshadow more serious diplomatic consequences."
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) predicted that the U.S.-Turkish resolution would remain strong. She said she expected the resolution to be brought to a House vote before the current session adjourns Nov. 16.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Gul and Erdogan to try to calm the diplomatic uproar.
