Rice Visit Seen as Reset for Washington-AKP Ties, Not Broader Turkish-US Relations

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Ankara as part of an effort to reframe bilateral relations through a non-binding "strategic common vision" document, according to Cumhuriyet columnist Mustafa Balbay. The document is intended to serve as a guiding framework for joint positions on major issues, though it will carry no formal legal obligation for either side.

The visit followed a trip to Washington by Recep Tayyip Erdogan adviser Cuneyd Zapsu, who reportedly urged American officials to work with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government rather than distance themselves from it. Ties between Ankara and Washington had cooled after Türkiye's parliament blocked the deployment of US troops in March 2003.

Balbay argued that Rice's visit appeared aimed at repairing Washington's relationship specifically with the AKP, rather than addressing the broader state of Türkiye-US relations. He questioned whether the AKP would be able to honor any commitments made in the document, and suggested the administration could later deny or quietly implement promises through separate agreements.

On the question of increased American support for Türkiye, Balbay noted that Washington pledged to double its assistance, then pointed out that the existing baseline figure was effectively zero.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.