Hürriyet, Turkey
Feb 28 2009

Turkey, US set to talk foreign policy

ANKARA – Longtime allies Turkey and the United States will review
their bilateral relations when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
visits Ankara next weekend, the Anatolia news agency reported Friday.

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan invited Clinton to Turkey during a phone
call on Tuesday, the agency said. Babacan and Clinton will come
together at two different international meetings next week Ä? a
donors’ conference in Egypt for the reconstruction of Gaza and the
NATO foreign ministers’ summit in Brussels on Mar. 5 Ä? before
their one-on-one talks in Ankara, which will probably be held
Mar. 7. Clinton will also meet with President Abdullah Gül and
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an.

Middle East on the agenda

Though the U.S. has not yet officially asked Turkey to send more
combat troops to Afghanistan, the issue will no doubt be on Clinton’s
agenda. The Turkish military has around 800 soldiers in the capital
city of Kabul, as part of a NATO force, and is not very keen to send
more. Babacan recently underlined Turkey’s contribution to Afghanistan
in the fields of health and education, implying that it had no
intention to send more troops, at least for the time being.

Iraq will be another top issue, especially regarding whether Turkey
will let Washington use its territories and bases to pull out troops
and equipment. Turkish diplomats have stated:" In the case of an
official request, Turkey will not close its borders and bases to
Washington, but all procedures should be negotiated and agreed on."

The Middle East, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict, will also
be on the agenda. After a meeting late Thursday, Turkey’s National
Security Council, or MGK, released a written statement saying: "Turkey
will continue to contribute to the efforts to find lasting settlement
and stability in the Middle East."

As for Turkey’s priorities, Babacan and other Turkish officials are
expected to press Clinton over the possibility of recognition of the
Armenian claims of genocide by the Congress. Turkish authorities have
made their message to Washington, saying: "Such moves would not only
hurt bilateral ties, but also the process of rapprochement between
Turkey and Armenia."