APA, Azerbaijan
Dec 5 2009

US administration and Azeri and Turkish lobbyists have high hopes
Erdogan’s visit to Washington

[ 05 Dec 2009 15:37 ]
Washinton. Isabel Levine – APA. The US administration and Azeri and
Turkish lobbyists in Washington DC are looking forward to Turkish
Prime-Minister’s negotiations with US President.

US Congress Turkish Caucus believes that Turkish `Armenia
normalization will positively influence on Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process and peace in the region on the whole, APA’s Washington
correspondent was told at the US Congress Turkish Caucus.

On December 4th, members of Caucus, including head of the group
Congressman Robert Wexler, republicans Congressmen Kay Granger and Ed
Whitfield released a statement determent to the upcoming visit of
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to Washington DC.

Congressmen expressed that they are looking forward to US-Turkish top
level negotiations’ next round. Congress’s Turkish Caucus especially
stressed Ankara’s leading role in the regions of Middle East and
Caucasus.

`We are supporting Ankara’s historic efforts in the normalization with
Armenia and also in the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia’ –
APA’s Washington correspondent was told at the Caucus.

Congressmen also believe that Erdogan’s visit will improve US-Turkish
strategic relations: `Currently there is a big opportunity for
strengthening mutual economy, politics and security relations’.

`During the recent years Turkey’s role for US has increased and one of
the great examples of it is that the number of US Congress Turkish
Caucus reached one hundred’ ` says the statement.
Today US Secretary of State Clinton said that Washington DC is `very
much looking forward to Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit on Monday’.
Clinton noted that US is `grateful for the cooperation and their
partnership on many important matters’.
In their turn, representatives of Azerbaijani Diaspora in US say they
are waiting with impenitence for Prime-Minister Erdogan’s visit to US:
`We have a lot of thoughts, ideas and concerns which we would like to
forward straight to top US administration, and we hope it will be
possible with Mr. Erdogan’s help’, – says Farrukh Guliyev, member of
Azerbaijani Diaspora.