OBAMA MAY BRING TOGETHER ARMENIAN, TURKISH LEADERS

news.az
April 1 2010
Azerbaijan

Erdogan, Obama Turkish media have reported that the US president
may hold a trilateral meeting with Serzh Sargsyan and Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in Washington.

In a move to reduce the ongoing tension between Turkey and the USA,
Ankara is likely to send its ambassador back to Washington ahead of
an international nuclear summit on 12 April, according to diplomatic
sources.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu are expected to attend the meeting, although this has not
yet been officially announced.

According to diplomats, Ambassador Namik Tan’s return and Erdogan’s
visit to the United States were made possible following a lengthy
telephone conversation between Davutoglu and US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton on Sunday.

According to the sources, there are a number of good reasons for
Erdogan’s participation in the summit; his absence would probably be
interpreted as a protest against US President Barack Obama.

Obama has also invited Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to the
summit. Although it is not considered the best venue for a bilateral
meeting between Erdogan and Sargsyan, officials said the absence of
senior Turkish government members would be a disadvantage.

Another important reason for Erdogan’s possible attendance remains
the fact that the summit covers an issue in which Turkey is trying
to play a global role, according to officials. Turkey is an active
country in the fight against the proliferation of nuclear weapons but
also an advocate of the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The issues that will be discussed in Washington, including Iran’s
controversial nuclear program, are of the utmost importance for
Turkey, officials said. It is also vital for Turkey to be present at
the summit at a moment when the international community is seeking
a consensus on potential sanctions to be applied against Iran.

Internethaber news agency reported that Erdogan was expected to meet
US President Obama to discuss the Armenian-Turkish protocols before
24 April.

‘In the event of a trilateral meeting between Sargsyan, Obama and
Erdogan, the US president will get another opportunity to say that
progress has been made in the Armenian-Turkish process and therefore
to avoid using the word genocide in his annual address to the Armenian
community,’ Internethaber said.

Sources: PanARMENIAN.Net Hurriyet Daily News

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress