A senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday that U.S. officials had a number of conversations with Turkish officials for the return of Turkish Ambassador to United States who was recalled after a U.S. congressional panel approved last month a resolution labelling the incidents of 1915 as "genocide".

"We would welcome the return of the ambassador, but that is ultimately a decision for Turkey," U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told a daily press briefing.

"We have encouraged them to return the ambassador to Washington. We think it's very important to have him here. But that is a decision for Turkey," he said.

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs approved the resolution on Armenian allegations on March 4.

Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador to United States, Namik Tan, minutes after the approval of the resolution. Tan arrived in Turkey two days after the panel decision.

Crowley also said that U.S. administration was in talks with Turkey about not only the resolution, but also steps to be taken in normalization process under the protocol signed last year.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on October 10, 2009 to normalize relations between the two countries. The protocols envisage the two countries to establish diplomatic ties and open the border that has been closed since 1993.

"We continue to encourage them to take those important steps," he said.


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