Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 16 2009

Wexler urges US to positively `channel’ Turkey’s value

American legislators and experts have assessed US President Barack
Obama’s April visit to Turkey at a hearing held at the House of
Representatives, with Democrat Robert Wexler describing the visit as
`historic.’

Turkey’s new foreign minister, Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu, is the
architect of Turkey’s policy of having `zero problems with neighbors,’
Wexler underlined, adding that Turkey has proven its own value, it has
the skill for opening certain doors and that the United States needs
to be able to positively `channel’ this situation.

The hearing, titled `The United States and Turkey: A Model
Partnership,’ was held on Thursday as part of work by the Subcommittee
on Europe of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign
Affairs.

In addition to Florida Rep. Wexler, as the head of the Subcommittee on
Europe, Ian Lesser, senior transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall
Fund of the United States, David L. Phillips, senior fellow at the
Atlantic Council of the United States, and Stephen Flanagan, senior
vice president, and Henry Kissinger, chairman, of the Center for
Strategic and International Studies participated in the hearing as
witnesses.

The title of the hearing was an apparent reference to wording that
Obama used during his visit to Turkey. The United States and Turkey
can build a `model partnership’ between a predominantly Christian
nation and a predominantly Muslim nation with a unity based on ideals
and values rather than religious faiths, Obama said in Ankara,
stressing his eagerness to see this model partnership materialize.

He felt the need for holding such a hearing following `the historic
visit that Obama paid to Turkey,’ Wexler said while opening the
hearing, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Wexler suggested that Obama’s visit has constituted a basis for
further strengthening Turkish-American relations in economic, military
and political fields, adding, `This cooperation is vital for both of
the two states in an environment in which we face serious security
issues in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, the Balkans, Black Sea, Caucasus
and the Middle East, besides a global financial crisis.’

The congressman also touched upon the recent rapprochement between
estranged neighbors Armenia and Turkey, which aims at normalizing
their bilateral relations.

`These diplomatic efforts deserve top level support from the US. I
call on my colleagues in Congress to support the Armenian and Turkish
governments in their quest for founding diplomatic, political and
economic relations,’ he said.

16 May 2009, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES ANKARA