U.S. expressed hope that Turkey will return its Ambassador, distancing itself from moves in the US Congress to describe mass killings of Armenians during the World War I as genocide.

“We understand the reasons why Turkey withdrew the Ambassador,” AFP quotes U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley. He voiced hope the Ambassador will return as soon as Turkey considers it necessary.

The Turkish side expressed its concerns over the House Committee voting. “We made clear our position on that resolution. So we hope that this is the basis to move forward because we have a lot of business to do together,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said, pointing to cooperation in the Balkans and other regions.

March 29, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pressed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a telephone conversation to stop the resolution from going forward at the House of Representatives, the Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman said.

Turkey recalled its Ambassador to Washington after U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the resolution on the recognition of Armenian Genocide. “We do not believe the full Congress will or should act on that resolution,” Clinton said after the vote.

L.A.