American ambassador in Ankara resigns

The American embassy in Ankara announced yesterday that ambassador Ereck Idealman resigned from his post in Turkey as well as from his missions inside the US state department.

A spokesman for the ministry said that Idealman extended a message of resignation to the US President GeorgeW. Bush last Friday and he will leave Turkey by the end of June. The spokesman added, in remarks to the tension in the relations between Washington and Ankara "it is a personal decision that has nothing to do with the American-Turkish relations and what is currently taking place in Turkey."

Idealman was behind the criticism addressed to him when he expressed regret over the visit to be carried out by the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to Syria in April. On Tuesday Sezer stressed that the visit will be held despite the American pressures.

Idealman remarks were described as an intervention in the Turkish internal affairs and certain sides considered him as persona non grata by the Turkish authorities.

However, the Turkish two dailies Myllite and Hurriet said that there is no connection between Idealman's resignation and the tension of relations between the two countries, noting that the resignation might be linked to Idealman assuming a high ranking post at the national security council or the US defense department.