Erdoğan announced last week that he had received an invitation from US President Barack Obama for a working visit on Oct. 29. At the time, he had already said the final decision would be made after a review of alternative dates.
“We mentioned that we wouldn't prefer the [Oct.] 29, if possible,” Erdoğan told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the exact date of his visit. When asked if he would consider visiting Washington on Oct. 29 if no alternative date is available, he said, “Then, I may, of course, go."
Some members of the opposition parties as well as some columnists have criticized the scheduling of Erdoğan's visit to the US capital on the 86th anniversary of the Turkish Republic -- which was established on Oct. 29, 1923, suggesting it was not appropriate for the prime minister to be at the White House on that particular date.
Meanwhile, government officials told the Cihan news agency that Erdoğan would be visiting Pakistan on Oct. 24-25 and then Iran on Oct. 26-27.
