Çavuşoğlu's Nationalist Gesture Provokes Outrage: Doubts Arise in Uruguay Over Sending Ambassador to Turkey

The nationalist gesture of Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has sparked serious discussions in Uruguay. Today, the parliament is set to debate the appropriateness of sending an ambassador to Turkey. This sentiment has been echoed by officials from the government, stating, "Such actions are unacceptable in a democratic country like ours. This is a matter of values."

According to elpais.com, this proposal has been put forth by the opposition's large "Broad Front" bloc, which announced yesterday that it will call Foreign Minister Bustillo to parliament to discuss the behavior of Turkey's foreign minister and its potential consequences, particularly regarding the appropriateness of appointing an ambassador to Uruguay in Turkey.

As part of negotiations for a Free Trade Zone between Uruguay and Turkey, it has also been decided to open diplomatic representations in both countries. Turkey has already established an embassy in Uruguay, and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu made a mocking gesture towards the Armenian community protesting against Turkish denialism right after the opening ceremony of the embassy and the swearing-in of the ambassador last Saturday.

Meanwhile, the question of appointing an ambassador from Uruguay to Turkey is still in progress. The candidacy of diplomat Hugo Cayrus has been submitted for parliamentary approval. He has already participated in the Senate's international affairs committee meeting, after which his candidacy will be reviewed and voted on in the parliament's plenary session.

Officials from the "Broad Front" party, which has proposed to re-evaluate the diplomatic relations process, told elpais.com that they have no issues with the Ambassador's profile and are prepared to vote in favor of him. "We have no problem with Cayrus. However, there are reasons related to balances and times that we need to analyze," said one of the opposition party's representatives to the media.

The website also reports that a commemoration event dedicated to the Armenian Genocide is scheduled to take place in parliament today, which President Luis Lacalle Pou will attend. The president condemned the behavior of Turkey's foreign minister, expressing sorrow over the incident.

In the meantime, the government has stated that it values the free trade agreement with Turkey for the country’s economy but also believes that the incident between Turkey's foreign minister and the Armenian protesters cannot be overlooked. Earlier reports indicated that Çavuşoğlu mocked the Armenian participants of a rally commemorating the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, who were protesting against Turkey's denialist policy and the minister's visit. He showed a gesture symbolizing the Turkish nationalist "Gray Wolves" organization from his car window, while those gathered in the street who had come to welcome the foreign minister applauded in response.