Hürriyet , Turkey
March 13 2009
Obama focused on Turkey: Envoy
ANKARA – Turkey’s friendly relations with countries such as Syria and
Iran could contribute to Obama’s policy of dialogue, says
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey and highlights the importance
Washington attaches to Turkey
The Obama administration believes a solution to regional problems will
be difficult without Turkey’s contributions, the U.S. ambassador in
Ankara has said. In an interview with daily Radikal published
yesterday, Ambassador James Jeffrey said the new U.S. administration
was showing interest in Turkey.
"First of all there is the attention that this administration is
giving to Turkey as a friend and partner and as an important player in
the region," said Jeffrey.
He said Turkey’s friendly relations with countries such as Syria and
Iran could contribute to Obama’s policy of dialogue and stressed a
step forward was taken during Turkish President Abdullah Gül’s meeting
with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The ambassador confirmed that Gül, who flew to Iran following talks
with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Ankara over
the weekend, conveyed Washington’s message of sincerity to
Tehran. "We’ll carefully listen to what Gül will say after his
return," Jeffrey was quoted as saying.
While Turkey earlier said it would weigh any requests by both Iran and
the United States to serve as a mediator between the two sides,
Ahmadinejad recently said that his country did not need Turkish
mediation.
In Tehran, Gül advised Iranian officials to seize the opportunity and
the new climate provided by the new U.S. administration. Gül did not
openly say Ankara would act as an intermediary but his statements
revealed Ankara would rather encourage resumption of dialogue between
Tehran and Washington.
The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic ties for three
decades and are now embroiled in a row over Tehran’s nuclear
program. Gül earlier expressed optimism that ties between the two
would improve as both countries were willing to better their
relations.
Jeffrey said the Obama administration was serious about extending a
hand to countries such as Syria and Iran and engaging in dialogue with
them without preconditions. He said that similar to the previous
administration, the current administration also had some doubts, but
he reiterated that they were now extending their hand without any
conditions. The ambassador said that stance had similarities with the
Turkish approach to some countries and problems and said Washington
believed there could be synergy between Turkey and the United
States. Asked if he could give any information about the Turkish
president’s meeting with Ahmadinejad, Jeffrey said they read what was
written in news reports and expressed the hope that the Iranians would
listen to Gül.
Moderate Islam
The previous Bush administration’s hailing Turkey as a moderate
Islamic country was a source of controversy. While in Ankara over the
weekend, Clinton refrained from using that expression and made an
emphasis on Turkey’s secular character, which raised questions if that
was a herald of a new approach by Washington toward Turkey. Jeffrey
said the description of other countries by others was not rational and
said the United States accepted Turkey as it was.
On the alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman
Empire, he said the Obama administration’s position was not yet clear
but praised efforts for normalization of ties between Turkey and
Armenia.