ADVISOR TO TURKISH PM: U.S PRESIDENT AND TURKISH PM TO HOLD UNOFFICIAL MEETING

Trend
April 7 2010
Azerbaijan

U.S President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will meet in Washington. But it will not be formal, advisor to Turkish
Prime-Minister on Eurasia Geybulla Ramazanoglu told Trend.

"The information that Obama and Erdogan will not meet, is wrong. The
meeting will take place, but it will not be official," Ramazanoglu
said over phone from Ankara.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs asked the question about the
bilateral meeting between Obama and Erdogan. He said that "the meeting
is not scheduled". He said that the U.S. president will meet with
his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan, Turkish news agency Cihan
reported.

Turkish Prime Minister will visit the United States April 12-13 to
attend a summit on nuclear safety, to be held under the patronage
of U.S President Obama. Presidents of 47 countries, including Turkey
and Armenia will attend the summit.

Ramazanoglu said that the presidents of the United States and Turkey
plan to discuss a number of issues at the meeting, but he did not
specify which ones.

Adviser to Turkish Prime Minister also rejected the information about
the possible pressure of the Jewish or Armenian lobby to the policy
of President Obama in relations with Turkey.

"The United States has its global strategy, which it will not refuse.

So, it was during previous administrations, and will remain at the
current one. No lobby does not have opportunities to exert pressure
on the presidents of the superpowers, " Ramazanoglu said.

On the eve of congressional elections, pro-Armenian positions are
usually strengthened. But it continues during the election campaign,
he said.

"After the elections, pro-Armenian sympathies [in the United States]
recede into the background, and forgotten," he said.

Turkish Prime-Minister Erdogan announced about his decision to take
part in the summit last Friday.

On Tuesday, Turkish Ambassador to the United States Namik Tan returned
to Washington on the eve of Erdogan’s visit. Tan was withdrawn the next
day after the Committee of the U.S. Congress adopted the resolution
on so-called "Armenian genocide".