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  • ANKARA: US congressmen praise Turkish-Israeli ties

    New Anatolian, Turkey
    May 9 2006


    US congressmen praise Turkish-Israeli ties

    The New Anatolian / Ankara



    U.S. congressmen yesterday told Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
    of their appreciation for the development of Turkish-Israeli
    relations, despite the visit by a Hamas delegation to Ankara, Turkish
    government sources told The New Anatolian.

    The remarks by the U.S. delegation, which was composed of members of
    the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, were made
    during a meeting with Gul in Ankara. The talks were dominated by
    recent developments in the Middle East especially Israel, Iraq and
    Iran, as well as the Armenian genocide claims, which brought Turkey
    to the edge of a crisis with France and Canada.

    According to the sources, while the U.S. officials didn't express
    dissatisfaction over Hamas' February visit to Turkey following the
    Palestinian elections that brought the militant group to power, they
    praised the developing pace of cooperation and relations between
    Turkey and Israel, both strategic allies of the U.S.

    Gul explained Ankara's stance towards Iran's nuclear program,
    underlining that Turkey is against the presence of weapons of mass
    destruction (WMDs) in the region, which might pave the way for a new
    crisis in the Middle East.

    The visit by the U.S. delegation coincided with the visit by top
    Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani, something which didn't escape
    notice.

    On the issue of the latest developments in Iraq, the U.S. officials
    suggested Turkey invite Iraq's new prime minister to Ankara as a sign
    of Turkish support for the country's political process, diplomatic
    sources said.

    Gul for his part touched on the importance of preserving Iraq's
    territorial integrity and national unity, urging the U.S. to support
    all Iraqi groups.

    Gul underlined that while Ankara has the opportunity to deal with the
    developments in the Middle East in detail, Washington has a global
    perspective towards the region because of its geographic location and
    said that despite the presence of differences in perceptions, the
    U.S. and Turkey should work together to create a joint vision in the
    region.

    Concerning the Armenian genocide claims, while Gul explained to the
    U.S. officials that the events of 1915 were not genocide, the U.S.
    side stressed the need to establish a joint commission composed of
    Turkish and Armenian historians to study the controversial events.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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