Erdogan blames US envoy for diplomatic crisis

ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Tuesday that the government will boycott the US ambassador, deepening one of the worst rifts in decades between the NATO allies.

Erdogan said Turkey no longer regarded outgoing envoy John Bass as the US representative to Turkey after US missions in the country stopped issuing visas.

The dispute erupted last week when Turkey arrested a Turkish employee of the US consulate on suspicion of links to the group blamed for last year's failed coup.