TURKISH PM DODGES GENOCIDE RESOLUTION ISSUE

Tert.am
11:16 ~U 08.12.09

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday met with
President Barack Obama at the White House.

"Turkey and the United States enjoy a special partnership," Erdogan
told reporters after meeting with Obama. "Terrorism is our common
enemy, and we are doing everything in our capacity to ensure success
in our joint struggle."

Speaking through an interpreter, in an ornate hotel room crowded with
Turkish reporters, Erdogan sidestepped questions about whether he
explicitly raised the Armenian Genocide resolution issue with Obama,
reports

Repeatedly, though, Turkish officials have stressed through diplomatic,
political and economic channels that they would react viscerally
to passage of a congressional genocide resolution. The White House
meetings Monday further underscored the multi-faceted nature of
relations between the two countries.

Obama and Erdogan talked about Turkey’s role in NATO and in
Afghanistan, where Turkey currently has 1,750 soldiers helping train
Afghan police. The president and prime minister also discussed Turkey’s
cooperation in stabilizing Iraq and working with Iran, two countries
with which Turkey shares borders.

"I am incredibly optimistic about the prospect of stronger and stronger
ties between the United States and Turkey," Obama said.

"The meeting was based on mutual trust and mutual sincerity,"
Erdogan said.

Obama said Monday that he "encouraged" Erdogan to continue along
the path of normalizing relations with Armenia. The Turkish and
Armenian foreign ministers signed a protocol setting out the stages
for normalizing relations, but so far neither country’s parliament
has ratified the protocol.