The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) called on the U.S. President Barack Obama to immediately recall the U.S. ambassador in Turkey James Jeffrey , after he described Turkey as a “peaceful country that doesn’t invade neighbors and as being closer to the EU than Cyprus”.

Statements by James Jeffrey about a necessitated Turkish military presence in Cyprus were discussed at the meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Senator Robert Menendez, who is an advocator of Armenian and Greek interests, recalling of 40 thousand Turkish troops invaded Cyprus, asked U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey told a Turkish newspaper that Turkey has security concerns in Cyprus. This is an argument in favors of keeping the Turkish military troops in Cyprus. Was Ambassador misspoke?"

U.S. Secretary of State said that he could not speak on behalf of the Ambassador. "But I think he just expressed the position of the Turkish government. Certainly, we his words as the position of the Turkish side, but not American," Clinton said, the Sabah newspaper wrote.

“Ambassador Jeffrey’s responses for the public record were alarming and bring into question the Obama Administration’s policy as it specifically relates to Cyprus,” said AHI. “AHI views the ambassador’s remarks as unacceptable, disappointing and damaging to U.S. interests,” the organisation said in a statement.