Al-Jazeera TV, Qatar
March 7 2009
Turkish envoys say Clinton’s visit to outline future ties
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to hold talks with
her Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan in Ankara today. Clinton will also
hold talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey is the final leg in Clinton’s tour which
included a number of European and Mideast countries.
Immediately afterward, Al-Jazeera interviews its correspondent in
Ankara Umar Khashram to report further on the agenda of the meetings
between Clinton and the Turkish officials.
Khashram begins by saying: "What makes this visit very important is
that it is the first by Clinton to Turkey and the first visit
following tension in the Turkish-US ties." Khashram notes that the US
withdrawal from Iraq will be one of the main items on the agenda of
the meetings, noting that "Turkey is willing to help the United States
move its troops to the United States through Turkey, but on certain
conditions." Khashram adds that the meetings will also address other
"thorny issues" like the US Congress recognition of "the Armenian
genocide" and the US position on the conflict between Turkey and the
Kurdistan Workers Party. Concluding, Khashram says "Turkish diplomats
say the visit will outline the future of the US-Turkish political
ties."