OBAMA VISIT RESULT OF TURKEY’S REGIONAL ROLE – FM

Anadolu Agency
March 22 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) -22.03.2009 -Turkish foreign minister defined on Sunday
the US president’s scheduled visit to Turkey as a result of Turkey’s
role in its region.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said US President Barack Obama’s
visit to Turkey was a result of Turkey’s role in its region.

"Obama’s visit is a natural outcome of Turkey’s increasing role in
its region," Babacan told the private Haberturk TV channel.

US President Obama is expected to visit Turkey on April 6 and 7.

Babacan said that Obama had started to revise the US foreign policy
after he took office, and the new US administration was listening
to other views more, taking recommendations, and was in an effort to
have a closer cooperation with its allies.

The Turkish foreign minister welcomed the United States’ close
dialogue efforts, and saw US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s
visit to Turkey and the visit of President Obama scheduled for April
as the signals of the US interest in the region.

Babacan said Obama’s visit would be his second abroad visit, following
his visit to Canada.

The Turkish foreign minister referred to a resolution at the US
congress regarding the incidents of 1915, and said that Turkish
executives were lobbying against the resolution in their meetings
with congresspeople and other US authorities.

Babacan said Turkish executives were explaining Turkey’s theses and the
possible negative effects of such a resolution on Turkish-US relations.

The minister said Turkey aimed to normalize its relations with Armenia,
and the process was going on well.

Babacan said that Armenian authorities were discussing Upper Karabakh
dispute with the Azerbaijani authorities, and also said that the
problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan were more complicated and
deeper.