Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 27 2010

Clinton says Turkey opposes Iran’s aggressive policies

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told congressional panels
earlier this week that while Turkey shares a long border with Iran and
has religious, commercial and cultural ties with that country, it
opposes Iran’s aggressive policies.

Testifying before congressional committees in the House of
Representatives on Thursday and in the Senate on Wednesday to urge the
approval of the State Department’s proposed $52.8 billion budget for
the 2011 fiscal year, Clinton responded to Steve Israel, a Republican
congressman from New York, who said that he was concerned about where
Turkey is going because it was weakening international efforts to stop
Iran from developing nuclear weapons, defending Tehran’s position and
acting irresponsibly.

Clinton mentioned Turkey’s contributions in Kosovo, the Mediterranean
and the Black Sea and said the US administration had worked very hard
to persuade the Turkish government to pressure Iran, which is expected
to respond to the demands of the United States soon.

She also told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that President
Barack Obama had offered Iranian leaders `the opportunity to engage in
a serious way’ and described it as `a necessary and important step’
that was taken despite some domestic political criticism. However,
Iran has failed to respond `in a serious manner,’ and since the
initial US offer of engagement has unveiled a new nuclear facility at
Qom and decided to attempt uranium enrichment to a higher percentage.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Feb. 18 report said
Iran may be trying to design a nuclear-armed missile.

Israel also told Clinton that he was concerned about Turkey’s strained
relations with Israel, the Cyprus problem and Turkey’s `illegal
occupation’ and Turkey’s stance regarding the mass killings in Darfur.
In response, Clinton said the Turkish government has been critical of
the country of Israel for humanitarian reasons because of Israel’s
Gaza offensive. The congressman asked Clinton if the United States
would review its relations with Turkey in light of Turkey’s review of
its relations with the United States and the rest of the world.

Clinton stated that as NATO countries, Turkey and the United States
work together in areas from the Balkans to Afghanistan and share an
important partnership and mutual strategic interests. Pointing out
that Turkey has been engaged in an assertive foreign policy in an
effort to solve its problems with Armenia, she said Turkey’s
contributions in Afghanistan are of key importance. Turkey has 1,755
troops serving with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan. Turkey is also involved in training Afghan
security forces both in Turkey and in Afghanistan.

Israel also questioned Turkey’s attitude toward Christians living in
the country. He accused Turkey of being intolerant and said that it
confiscated minorities’ property.

Clinton pointed out that the US administration has called on Turkey to
reopen the Greek Orthodox seminary on Heybeliada, closed in 1971, and
protect the property rights of its minorities. The issue has been
brought up by US officials several times before, lastly during the
visit of Ä°stanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew to the
White House to meet with US President Obama.

Clinton also said they are interested in finding a solution to Cyprus
and encourage Turkey to work for a solution to the problem.

Another questions regarding Turkey came from Michael McMahon, a
Democratic congressman from New York. He asked Clinton about recent
remarks by Ambassador James Jeffrey, America’s envoy to Ankara, and
indicated that he was concerned that Jeffrey talked about Turkey’s
security concerns in the divided island of Cyprus.

Jeffrey, in a recent newspaper interview, appeared to justify Turkey’s
1974 military intervention into the Turkish-Cypriot region in northern
Cyprus in response to a coup engineered by the military junta ruling
Greece at the time.

In response, Clinton first stated that her department has been
heartened by some of the intense consultations between the Greek and
Turkish Cypriot leadership, but noted that there is a lot more to do.
She also added that Jeffrey was stating the opinion of the Turkish
government in the remarks in question.

In her address to the congressional panels, Clinton also said that the
United States is making their `new beginning with the Muslim world’
concrete.

`We’re strengthening partnerships with allies in Europe and Asia, with
friends in our own hemisphere and with countries around the world from
India to Indonesia to South Africa, Brazil and Turkey. And yes, we are
working every day to end the impasse and the conflict between Israelis
and Palestinians.’

27 February 2010, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL