TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS OBAMA’S UPCOMING VISIT "IMPORTANT MESSAGE"

Anadolu Agency
March 18 2009
Turkey

Ankara, 18 March: The Turkish foreign minister saw Wednesday US
President Barack Obama’s visit as an important visit.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that US President Barack
Obama would pay one of his first foreign visits to Turkey.

"This is an important message to the entire world," Babacan told
private TGRT Haber channel.

Obama is expected to pay a visit to Turkey on April 6-7.

Babacan said that the United States clearly stated that it wanted to
work closely with Turkey, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
noted down his recommendations during their meeting in the Turkish
capital of Ankara.

Clinton promised to work on those recommendations after she returned
to Washington D.C., Babacan said.

Babacan also said that the foreign policy agenda of Turkey and the
United States fully coincided with each other, and the United States
attached importance to Turkey’s perspective on Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Middle East, Caucasus and Iran.

"The new era in the United States offers significant opportunities
for Turkey," Babacan said.

Babacan said that Obama could make his planned speech in a Muslim
country either in Turkey or another country.

"We will be pleased if he chooses Turkey," he said.

Babacan said that Turkey was sharing its views with the United States,
and would give priority to communication and contacts.

Turkey was expressing its thoughts to the United States without any
hesitation, and as two equal and sovereign countries, he said.

Babacan also said that the United States had not made any concrete
demands regarding withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, and Turkey would
assess it when a concrete demand was made.

"We will extend any support for our own national interests and for
our neighbour Iraq if necessary," Babacan said.

On Turkish-Armenian relations, Babacan said Turkey wanted to normalize
its relations with Armenia, and was talking with Azerbaijani, Armenian
and Russian authorities to establish good relations in the Caucasus.

Babacan said that it was the first time that the United States and
Russia were extending support for an initiative.

Turkey had told the US authorities that it was not right to take some
steps in a third country when such talks were going on, he said.

"But, we cannot say that there is no risk like a decision regarding
April 24 despite all these developments," Babacan said.

Regarding developments in Pakistan, Babacan said that he wanted
to go to a meeting on Pakistan in Japan, and Turkey was planning a
trilateral summit with Pakistan and Afghanistan in coming months.

Babacan said that Turkey would assess whether or not to send additional
troops to Afghanistan if a concrete demand was made, but problems in
Afghanistan could not be solved with more troops, tanks or arms.

The Turkish foreign minister underlined the requirement of a political
solution for stability and peace in Afghanistan, and said that Turkey
had met all groups in Afghanistan and told them to get involved in
the political process.

Also, Babacan said that a new era had begun in Turkey’s fight against
terrorism, and Turkey had taken diplomatic, economic and socio-cultural
steps besides military methods.

Babacan said that it was time that the regional administration in
north of Iraq to make some decisions, and the terrorist organization
PKK did not have any vogue from no one.

The Turkish minister said that it was easier to make a financial
pursuit after the United States included the PKK in the list of
illicit drug trafficking organizations.

Babacan said that the terrorism issue should be out of Turkey’s and
Iraq’s agenda.

The Turkish foreign minister defined Israel’s operation on Gaza as
a big mistake, and said that the Israeli-Syrian talks could resume
again after the message of the parties that they were ready.

The talks were interrupted due to Israel’s operation on Gaza. More
than 800 people were killed and around 3,000 others were injured
in the 22-day Israeli offensive against Gaza that was launched on
December 27, 2008.