TURKISH PRESIDENT SEES "NEW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY" IN TURKISH-US RELATIONS
Anatolia News Agency
Jan 6 2008
Turkey
ANKARA, 7 Jan (A.A) – President Abdullah Gul was seen off by Koksal
Toptan, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, at Esenboga
Airport. Saime Toptan, Koksal Toptan’s wife; Mustafa Isen, Secretary
General of the President’s Office; Ankara Governor Kemal Onal, and
Brigadier General Naci Ozdemir, Commander of Ankara Central Command
were also present in the official ceremony held on the occasion of
Gul’s departure.
President Gul Enhanced Coverage LinkingPresident Gul -Search using:
Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days is accompanied by
Hayrunnisa Gul, his wife; Minister of State Mehmet Simsek and his
wife, Anna Simsek; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator
Ali Babacan and his wife, Zeynep Babacan; Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources Hilmi Guler; Brigadier General Alaaddin Sevim,
Head of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff, and the
representatives of some newspapers.
Gul will visit the United States at the invitation of US President
George W. Bush Enhanced Coverage LinkingGeorge W. Bush -Search using:
Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days and two presidents
will hold a meeting at the White House on 8 January.
Gul said that Turkish-American relations which were traditionally
based on defence and security in the past had assumed a new aspect.
Gul stated: "I believe that the first visit that I will pay to the
United States in my capacity as President will mutually reconfirm
strategic relations, dialogue, and solidarity between the two countries
and the importance of our cooperation in terms of preserving regional
and global security and stability, especially with regard to the fight
on terrorism and allow us to identify new windows of opportunity in
bilateral ties."
In a statement he made before his departure for the United States,
Gul noted that he would visit the United States at the invitation
of President Bush, Enhanced Coverage LinkingPresident Bush, -Search
using: Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days adding that
he would meet with Bush on Tuesday, 8 January.
Pointing out that he and Bush would review Turkish-American relations
in light of prevailing conditions and explore ways to further enhance
those relations in all fields, Gul said that they would also discuss
bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues in
that context. Gul went on to say: "We are going to exchange opinions
on cooperation maintained between the two countries at bilateral
and international levels as part of their fight against terrorism;
recent developments witnessed in the Middle East; general security and
political situation in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon; the
Cyprus issue; and the process of our country’s accession to the EU."
Gul added that he would also meet with US Vice President Dick Cheney,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Secretary of Defence Robert
Gates in Washington in addition to some leading opinion leaders.
Noting that he would also be interviewed by the American media and hold
a meeting with the Turkish American community and the representatives
of American business community and investors, President Gul Enhanced
Coverage LinkingPresident Gul -Search using: Biographies Plus News
News, Most Recent 60 Days said that he would also visit an exhibition
entitled "A Collection of Paintings by Contemporary Turkish Artists"
in Washington which is sponsored by the Turkish Central Bank. Gul
added that we would fly from Washington to New York on 9 January for
a dinner with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Gul stated that he
would deliver a speech about Turkish-American relations in the Foreign
Policy Council and meet with the representatives of Akhaltsikhe Turkish
community and some leading Jewish organizations in the United States.
"New windows of opportunity in bilateral relations"
Stressing that cooperation between Turkey and the United States
was continuing to maintain its importance in light of new climate
in international relations, President Gul Enhanced Coverage
LinkingPresident Gul -Search using: Biographies Plus News News,
Most Recent 60 Days said that Turkish-American relations which were
traditionally based on defence and security in the past assumed a
new aspect..
Pointing out that bilateral relations were diversified and deepened
in a variety of fields, including economy, trade, investment, energy,
joint development of R&D programmes, scientific, technological, and
academic cooperation, and exchange of visits between communities,
Gul went on to say: "As a natural outcome of this transformation,
perceptions of the public have taken the centre stage in our
relations. Turkish-American relations had to focus on the PKK’s
terror campaign originating from northern Iraq and unfounded
Armenian allegations in the past couple of months. It is, however,
essential that the Turkish public properly understand the content,
scope, and meaning of those relations and the new potential created
by strengthened cooperation aimed at finding a solution to those
problems. I believe that the first visit that I will pay to the United
States in my capacity as President will mutually reconfirm strategic
relations, dialogue, and solidarity between the two countries and the
importance of our cooperation in terms of preserving regional and
global security and stability, especially with regard to the fight
on terrorism and allow us to identify new windows of opportunity in
bilateral ties."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
