Turkish-US ties constantly sinking, says top academic

Relations between Ankara and Washington have been consistently strained in recent years, according to a scholar. However, despite a loss of trust between Ankara and Washington, Turkey's relative stability amid chaos remains important for the US, says Professor Kemal Kiri?ci of the Brookings Institute Trust between Turkey and the United States has been constantly sinking, but with Washington giving more prominence to economic issues, Ankara remains important to the U.S. as it is still considered a stable country with a growing economy in a chaotic region, according to a Washington-based Turkish scholar.

With many Western countries facing their own problems of democratic governance, Turkey's problems with democracy are becoming less of a priority, said Kemal Kiri?ci of the Brookings Institute.

How does Turkey look from Washington from the perspective of Americans?

I cannot say that Turkey has the image it had until summer 2014. I was actually present in D.C. when then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an came on a state visit. I participated in the lunch event organized for him at the State Department. I just could not believe the praise that he got showered with from [Secretary of State] John Kerry to [Vice President] Joe Biden; it was not just praise bestowed on Erdo?an but his family as well.

However, when the Gezi events took place and Erdo?an seemed to blame not only just Lufthansa, the West but also implied [U.S. President Barack] Obama, too, Obama apparently said to his close circles, "I can't believe that someone whom I hosted for a private dinner at my residence would be saying this about me."

That was the beginning of the break in confidence, the mutual trust. If we take that reference point; trust...