A diplomatic row between Turkey and the United States continued to escalate Oct. 9, with Turkish authorities seeking a second US Consulate worker on terrorism charges. According to media reports, the suspect was refusing to leave the consulate Monday afternoon, and authorities were questioning his wife and son. Another consulate employee, Metin Topuz, was arrested last week.
Meanwhile, news of the discord between Turkey and the United States sent the Turkish lira plunging more than 6% Oct. 8 against the US dollar, although it regained much of the loss the following day. This followed the US Embassy's Oct. 8 announcement that said, “Effective immediately, we have suspended all non-immigrant visa services,” and Turkey's in-kind response. It is crucial to note that the first sentence of the statement expressed concerns the US government has about Turkey's commitment to the security of American personnel. This is a strong reprimand that indicates the growing lack of trust among the two longtime NATO allies.