Reason for Erdogan’s cancellation of Latin America trip revealed – Uruguay denies security measure request

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. Argentina’s Armenian Prensa Armenia news agency has tried to find out the reasons of cancellation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Latin America.

According to Prensa Armenia, the tension began earlier on January 26, when the Turkish Ambassador to Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay Meral Barlash contacted the foreign ministry – just two weeks ahead of the planned visit - to specify if the president can hold a meeting with Erdogan.

In response, it was known that President Tabare Vazquez has declined to host the Turkish president with a complete agenda, agreeing only for a short meeting, which the Turkish diplomacy found to be not enough.

In addition, Uruguay refused to take extraordinary security measures as requested by Turkey, which implied nearly 100 bodyguards, snipers and special buildings.

The foreign ministry of Uruguay was first informed about Erdogan’s cancellation of the visit on January 30 from the news.

The G20 summit will be held for the first time in Argentine from November 30 to December 1 in 2018. It is expected that Erdogan will first visit Uruguay and then to Argentina.

The Turkish president had cancelled a visit to Argentina earlier in 2010 also, when he was serving as prime minister.

Erdogan had to visit Buenos Aires for the inauguration of an Ataturk statue in a park, but local authorities had cancelled the erection of the statue upon pressure from the Armenian community.