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  • Remarks With Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu

    US Department of State
    June 5 2009


    Remarks With Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu

    Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State

    Treaty Room
    Washington, DC
    June 5, 2009

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon. Minister Davutoglu and I just had a
    very productive, broad-ranging, comprehensive discussion. And it is a
    great privilege to welcome him here to the State Department within the
    very first weeks of his having been appointed foreign minister. Of
    course, I was very honored to have gone to Turkey very early in my
    term as Secretary of State, and President Obama had a wonderful visit
    to Turkey.

    And all of that is to confirm the strength and importance of our
    partnership and alliance. We have a lot of work to do
    together. Turkey, the United States, and the entire global community
    certainly face a great number of challenges, but we also see
    opportunities. So our message coming out of the meeting today and our
    prior meetings is that we're going to deepen and strengthen our
    cooperation on an ongoing basis, because we believe that both Turkey
    and the United States have unique roles to play.

    Now, we obviously already collaborate. Not only are we both members of
    NATO, but we are working with the G-20 to respond to the global
    economic crisis, we're exploring ways to enhance our trade and
    commerce between our two countries, we're working to develop new
    energy sources, including resources from the Caucasus and Central
    Asia. We're partners in the fight against global terrorism. We share
    the goal of a stable Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to deny al-Qaida
    safe haven that can threaten our countries and many others. We support
    Turkey in its fight against the terrorist activities of the PKK, which
    has been a very important cooperation.

    And I underscored again today the United States' strong support for
    Turkey's bid to become a member of the European Union. Turkey has made
    significant progress toward membership. It's been in a process of
    reform that is generated by its own internal decisions but which has
    certainly responded to many of the concerns regarding the strength of
    the bid that Turkey had. And so we applaud what Turkey has already
    done and pledge our efforts to continue working with Turkey.

    And so we ranged across a broad number of issues, and I want to just
    make a special note. As President Obama said yesterday in Cairo, the
    United States is committed to broad engagement with Muslims everywhere
    across the globe based on mutual interests and mutual respect. We
    believe strongly in the freedom of religion and expression, in vibrant
    civil societies, and we know that those are values that Turkey shares.

    And I want to thank the minister and his government for the role that
    Turkey plays as a force for peace and stability. This is important,
    and it's already been demonstrated in the work that Turkey has done
    for a number of years and continues with respect to comprehensive
    peace in the Middle East. And we are strongly supportive of the
    Turkish efforts to normalize relations with Armenia, and we are also
    very strongly supportive of the efforts to resolve the
    Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    We discussed Cyprus, which is an issue that the President also
    addressed when he was in Turkey in April. The two Cypriot leaders have
    an opportunity through their commitment to negotiations under the
    United Nations Good Offices Missions, and the United States is willing
    to help the parties. We want to work toward a settlement that
    reunifies Cyprus into a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation.

    We discussed many, many concerns, and I'm just grateful for the
    commitment by the minister and by his government to play an active
    role in our dynamic world. Our relationship is not just about
    security; it is about seizing these opportunities, and I look forward
    to working with you.

    FOREIGN MINISTER DAVUTOGLU: Thank you very much, Secretary
    Clinton. It's a great honor and pleasure for me to meet with Secretary
    Clinton today in a very historic time after the speech of President
    Obama yesterday and the new commitment of United States for regional
    and global peace everywhere. We know of her wisdom, her approach, and
    we always appreciate and admire her approach to all the issues
    regarding to our bilateral, regional, and global issues.

    Basically, the purpose of my visit was to follow up her historic visit
    to Turkey immediately after the new Administration in March and
    President Obama's historic visit in April. So these historic visits
    showed the strength of our bilateral relations. So I came here in my
    first month of my duty in this ` as minister to follow up all the
    contents, all the issues regarding our relations. We had a very
    constructive meeting. I am grateful for that. And we went through all
    the issues regarding the depth and scope of our agenda. We decided to
    have a much more broader comprehensive approach in our bilateral
    relations, not only security issues but economy, energy security,
    cultural issues. Also on the main regional issues like Middle East,
    Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Caucasia, (inaudible) and all the
    relevant issues we have as common agenda we went through. And I am
    very happy to see that we have very identical, similar approaches to
    many of these issues.

    On global affairs also, we agreed together that our cooperation should
    not be limited only by regional efforts, but there is a big potential
    between Turkey and the United States to work together on global issues
    like relations between civilizations, Alliance of Civilizations, like
    G-20 and economic ` the situation after economic crisis, like our
    cooperation in United Nations Security Council. As you know, Turkey
    took over the presidency a few days ago. And I was in New York
    yesterday for the first formal meeting of UN Security Council.

    As Turkey ` as minister of foreign affairs of Turkey, and as the
    Government of Turkey, we are ready to cooperate with the United States
    in all these significant issues for achieving regional and global
    peace. That is our contribution to the (inaudible). Thank you very
    much.

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Very well said, Minister.

    MR. WOOD: The first question will be from Jill Dougherty of CNN.

    QUESTION: Thank you. Madame Secretary, what is the U.S. doing to free
    the journalists being held in North Korea? And how open are you to
    using a special negotiator/envoy, perhaps former Vice President Gore?

    And also, if I could, just one very quick question. Any update on the
    situation of the Goldman boy in Brazil?

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Jill, the concern that we feel for these two
    young women who are in prison in North Korea has been driving our
    efforts. We want to strike the right balance between expressing our
    deep concerns, our belief that these two young women should be
    released immediately. The trial which is going on right now we
    consider to be a step toward the release and the return home of these
    two young women.

    I personally have spoken with a number of foreign officials who have
    influence through various channels with the North Koreans. The State
    Department has had direct contact with the North Koreans through the
    channel by which we communicate. The Swedish ambassador has been
    extremely helpful. He has actually met with the two young women on
    three occasions. He's helped to facilitate the delivery of materials
    and the passing of messages. So we are incredibly concerned on both a
    diplomatic and, on my behalf, a personal basis. I have met with their
    families, and I share the grave anxiety that they feel about the
    safety and security of these two young women.

    We call again on the North Korean Government to release them and
    enable them to come home as soon as possible. We have explored other
    approaches, including the use of special representatives strictly for
    this humanitarian mission. But as things stand now, we know that
    they're in the middle of a trial in Pyongyang, and we hope that the
    trial is resolved quickly and that the young women are released.

    With respect to Sean Goldman, we were very pleased when the Brazilian
    courts reached the conclusion they reached earlier this week. And we
    were very disappointed when a hold was placed on the release of this
    young boy and his return with his father to the United States. We will
    continue to support Mr. Goldman in his efforts to speak out on behalf
    of the family relations that is at the core of this legal case, and to
    urge the Brazilian Government and judiciary to release Sean and enable
    him to return to his father now that the legal decision has been
    rendered.

    QUESTION: This is Umit Enginsoy with Turkish NTV television. Madame
    Secretary, since the release in April of Turkish, Armenian, and Swiss
    statements about joint intention for normalization of ties, have you
    observed any progress toward that end, and also toward resolution of
    the Nagorno-Karabakh problem? And are you hopeful that these could be
    resolved in the not-too-distant future? Thank you.

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I have been very encouraged by the progress
    that has been made and by the commitment of the governments
    involved. Certainly, Turkey and Armenia, with the assistance of the
    Swiss Government, have committed themselves to a process of
    normalization. We're well aware that this is difficult. It requires
    patience and perseverance. But we have seen no flagging of commitment.

    The minister and I discussed this at length. He brought me up to date
    on developments. And we are continuing to encourage the parties to
    proceed on the path which they themselves have set. We are supportive,
    but it is up to the Turkish and Armenian governments and people to
    realize the great opportunity this poses. The normalization of
    relations not only continues what I have seen from the Turkish
    Government, which is a desire to actually solve problems, and I
    applaud that, but we think it will bring great benefits to the region.

    Similarly, with the ongoing negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh, the
    Government of Azerbaijan and of Armenia are proceeding and working
    together. They were just in a recent meeting in St. Petersburg. So we
    believe that a lot of progress has been made in a relatively short
    period of time to resolve issues that are of long standing.

    What's important is the commitment to get to a point of resolution of
    these conflicts, and I see that commitment. Now are there problems
    along the way? Of course. There is in any difficult undertaking. But I
    do not doubt the commitment, and I certainly appreciate the very
    strong position that the Turkish Government has taken. And perhaps,
    Minister, you would like to add to that?

    FOREIGN MINISTER DAVUTOGLU: I would like to express also my thanks to
    Secretary Clinton because of her personal and American Government's
    support for these two processes. We are very optimistic. We want to
    achieve a prosperous, peaceful Caucasia. And in that sense, we are
    fully committed to our normalization process with Armenia, and also,
    we are fully committed and we are ready to work together with United
    States and other co-chairs of Minsk Group for the resolution of
    Armenian-Azeri issues.

    And I was very impressed and I want to repeat my thanks for the
    commitment of Madame Secretary Clinton in this sense, and we will be
    working together. There is a strong will politically by Turkish side
    to continue all the efforts to achieve our common goal of creating a
    prosperous, peaceful Caucasia together.

    MR. WOOD: Next question will be from Arshad Mohammed of Reuters.

    QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, how seriously is the United States
    considering imposing either multilateral or unilateral financial
    sanctions on North Korea and its banks? And what makes you confident
    that such a step wouldn't be counterproductive? When the sanctions
    were imposed on BDA, it essentially froze the process for months on
    end until the United States effectively removed them and returned the
    money.

    And a small ` well, a separate thing, maybe not small. Dov Weissglas,
    the former Israeli chief of staff to former Prime Minister Sharon,
    argues publicly this week that Israel had understandings with the Bush
    Administration, under which it was permitted to continue so-called
    natural growth under the Roadmap, that it could continue building
    within the construction line. Do you believe that there were such
    understandings or agreements between Israel and the Bush
    Administration? Do you feel bound by them?

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Arshad, let me start with North Korea. As you
    know, the United States is working very hard in the Security Council,
    now chaired by Turkey, to come up with a resolution that would
    represent the will of the international community with respect to
    North Korea's actions that are viewed with considerable concern on the
    part of not just the United States or South Korea or Japan, but also
    China, Russia, and many other countries internationally.

    We've made considerable progress in devising the kinds of actions that
    would represent consequences imposed upon the North Koreans by the
    international community. I have personally spoken with a number of the
    foreign ministers, our ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and
    her team are involved on a hour-by-hour basis, because we want to come
    up with the strongest possible resolution.

    And I think we've learned a lesson. One of the lessons we've learned
    is that with the North Koreans, it's never over till it's over, that
    if there are effective sanctions that we believe can be imposed, an
    arms embargo and other steps to be taken, we need to see real
    results. We, along with other neighbors in Northeast Asia as well as
    the international community, stand ready to resume negotiations with
    the North Koreans over their nuclear program. Our goal remains to have
    a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. So I am quite heartened by the
    progress that we're seeing in the United Nation Security Council. And
    when we believe we've gotten the strongest possible resolution we can
    get, we will table it and then proceed.

    With respect to the conditions regarding understandings between the
    United States and the former Israeli government and the former
    government of the United States, we have the negotiating record. That
    is the official record that was turned over to the Obama
    Administration by the outgoing Bush Administration. There is no
    memorialization of any informal and oral agreements. If they did
    occur, which, of course, people say they did, they did not become part
    of the official position of the United States Government. And there
    are contrary documents that suggest that they were not to be viewed as
    in any way contradicting the obligations that Israel undertook
    pursuant to the Roadmap. And those obligations are very clear.

    QUESTION: Foreign Minister Davutoglu, how do you evaluate President
    Obama's speech to the Muslim world in Cairo? And Secretary Clinton,
    after President Obama's visit to Turkey, what is the state of
    Turkish-American relations?

    FOREIGN MINISTER DAVUTOGLU: Thank you very much. President Obama's
    speech yesterday in Cairo is a speech of wisdom, a speech of vision,
    and a speech of peace. And we share the insight with Secretary Clinton
    as well. We share this vision and we are ready to cooperate. I am sure
    you remember President Obama's visit and his speech in Turkish
    parliament. And when you look at the substance of two speeches, you
    can see an integrated approach, the continuation and follow-up of many
    issues that are very important principles for regional issues as well
    as global order in general. And it is a good message, clear message to
    the Muslim world that the future relations between the United States
    and the Muslim world, as well as between different cultures will be
    bright, based on a mutual understanding of coexistence, living
    together, sharing all human values in all fronts. And therefore, we
    share that vision and we will continue to work to realize this vision
    as a
    program and project together.

    SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I appreciate the minister's perceptive
    remarks about President Obama's speech yesterday. Clearly, the
    President is laying out a vision, and it is a vision that invites all
    people of good faith to come together, to work together, to recognize
    that we may have differences of experience, differences of background,
    of religion and race, but that we are all part of common humanity. And
    we have an opportunity in the 21st century to work toward realizing
    that vision. And I applaud the Turkish Government for taking a
    practical, hands-on approach to solving problems, to clear away the
    obstacles that prevent people from living up to their own God-given
    potential, of countries breaking the bounds of the past so that they
    can have a better future.

    And I think the relationship between Turkey and the United States is
    extremely strong. We have a durable bond that goes back many decades,
    but we're exploring new ways of expanding and deepening that strong
    relationship. And that was the purpose of our meeting today is to
    begin to look at how we can take our shared vision of what Turkey and
    the United States can do to further humanity's quest for peace and
    prosperity and progress, recognizing and respecting our legitimate
    differences of culture and religion, but making it clear that we're
    going to share this increasingly interdependent world. And we can
    either have positive or negative interdependence. And Turkey and the
    United States believe in a positive future.

    So I could not be happier and more optimistic about the relationships
    and what we together can do for the future.

    Thank you all very much.

    FOREIGN MINISTER DAVUTOGLU: Thank you.
    http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/06/12 4409.htm
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