Turkish Press, Turkey
Feb 7 2005

A Very Important Visit
BYEGM: 2/7/2005
BY YILMAZ OZTUNA

TURKIYE- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be in the world
media spotlight over the next four years as both the architect and
advocate of Pax Americana. Her visit to Ankara aimed to determine the
extent of US cooperation with Turkey over the coming months. Speaking
at a press conference following his meeting with Rice at Esenboga
Airport, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Washington a
strategic ally. This definition means that Turkey will support the
US’ Iran and Syria policies, because our bilateral ties are at a
turning point.

Rice’s visit was meant to put pressure on Syria and Iran to cease
their support of terrorist groups and quest to produce nuclear
weapons. If these efforts don’t bear fruit, the US will start
concrete action. Will Turkey hold up its end of the strategic
alliance? The US will arrange its policy accordingly. If Ankara
doesn’t support it, Washington will move closer to northern Iraq’s
Kurds as well as Armenia. The US is expecting understanding from such
key Arab countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Otherwise it will try
to bring democracy to them, as they seem unable to do so on their
own.