Turkey can always count on America, say US senators

Today’s Zaman
June 2 2009
Turkey

"Turkey can always depend on the US, while the US can always rely
on its close friend Turkey" was the powerful message delivered by a
group of Democratic senators and a congressman who paid a brief visit
to the Turkish capital last week.

Following in the footsteps of US President Barack Obama, who paid a
historic visit to Turkey in April, a delegation from the US Congress
represented by three senators and one congressman also delivered their
own message to their Turkish counterparts on Friday. Senators Robert
(Bob) Casey of Pennsylvania, Edward E. Kaufman of Delaware and Frank
Lautenberg of New Jersey along with Congressman Timothy Waltz from
Minnesota — all Democrats — met with Turkish officials to discuss
a number of bilateral issues.

Stressing that Turkish-US relations will improve and gain strength,
Casey said with the new administration and new Congress in place,
challenges and common threats face both Turkey and the United
States. "As [Abraham] Lincoln said, we should appeal to ‘the better
angels of our nature’ in our relations," he said, adding that he had
personally learned much during his talks in Ankara.

Casey also told Today’s Zaman that he appreciated the backing
of Turkish-Americans in his state when he launched his bid for a
senate seat to oust incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum in
2006. Turkish-Americans had run fund-raising campaigns to support
Casey at the time. Even though the number of Turkish-Americans in
Pennsylvania is small, their influence is much greater as most are
representatives of the well-educated and affluent class, which is
very active in the community and state affairs of Pennsylvania.

Casey said, "The message on Armenia was helpful to hear from Turkish
officials." Turkey and Armenia started a process of normalization in
2007 and are working to find a solution to common problems under the
brokerage of Swiss mediators. Senator Casey did not support Senate
Resolution 106, which calls for recognition of the Armenian genocide,
and declined to support another resolution drafted in connection with
the 2007 assassination of Hrant Dink, the Armenian-Turkish journalist,
by a Turkish teenage hit man in Ä°stanbul.

"What you are doing on the Armenian and Cyprus issues is making our
jobs in the Senate easier," said Kaufman, who replaced Vice President
Joe Biden when he vacated his Senate seat. "The reason we are here
is that we care about Turkey," he added. Kauffman talked about the
countries’ similarities in terms of the search for basic liberties
and democratic values. "Your position stands out," he emphasized,
recalling Obama’s extraordinary visit last April.

Turkey-US Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group leader and Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) deputy from Antalya Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu
said the bilateral relations between Turkey and the US are improving
rapidly. "The US providing a real-time actionable intelligence feed is
a notable development in helping us fight terrorist Kurdistan Workers’
Party [PKK] activities in southeastern Turkey," he said. CavuÅ~_oglu
further stated that the strained relations felt during the previous
administration were rapidly recuperating based on what Obama described
as 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.

CavuÅ~_oglu hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting congressional
delegation in Ankara on Friday. Representatives from the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and advocacy group leaders
from trade and media organizations also attended the dinner.