Hürriyet, Turkey
March 28 2009

‘Ties to be improved with the US’

ISTANBUL – Turkish-American relations should be boosted, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an said while appearing on a TV
program on the private TV channel Show late Thursday.

ErdoÄ?an said several matters including Turkey’s position in the
Middle East, the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from Iraq and Turkey’s
role in Afghanistan would be discussed during U.S. President Barack
Obama’s visit to Turkey. ErdoÄ?an said Turkey’s role in Middle
East peace efforts would be high on the agenda, adding that Ankara was
ready to revive indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria,
stalled since the Israelis launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip in
December.

Bilateral relations

The incidents of 1915, the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation
Platform, and problems between Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia
would also be discussed during Obama’s visit to Turkey, he said. The
United States could play a leading role in putting an end to these
problems, ErdoÄ?an said.

"I consider the relations between Turkey and the U.S. should be
enhanced," he said, adding that Turkey was ready to do all it could
for restoring peace in the Middle East.

Bilateral ties were strained under former U.S. President George
W. Bush when Turkey refused to allow U.S. troops to use its territory
in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. During a visit to Ankara earlier this
month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the new Washington
administration wished to undo Bush’s legacy and buttress relations.