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Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 11 2009
US spokesman faces questioning on Obama skipping Greece
A US State Department spokesman struggled to explain why US President
Barack Obama has decided to visit Turkey and not its neighbor, Greece,
insisting at a press conference that the president is planning to
visit Turkey to discuss many issues of common concern.
"I think it's quite significant that President Obama will be going to
Turkey. They're working out the details of that visit," State
Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said at a daily press briefing
on Monday. "But Turkey is an important ally, and there's a lot of
business to do with Turkey, and we think it is significant that the
president has decided to go."
The Greek media expressed resentment over Obama's plan to visit Turkey
within the month -- a short time after his secretary of state, Hillary
Clinton, traveled to Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders -- rather
than next turning his attention to Greece, another NATO ally that has
had problematic ties with Turkey in the past.
In the past the US policy was to maintain a balance between its
relations with Turkey and Greece; US officials visiting Turkey also
visited Greece to show that the US equally valued both allies. The
Greek media lamented that the US no longer seems to be concerned about
maintaining such evenhandedness and reported that the upcoming Obama
visit to Turkey could strain relations with Greek diplomats.
Asked whether Obama is also planning to go to Greece, Wood said the
president is not scheduled for such a visit. Regarding Clinton's
plans, Wood remarked, "I think, at some point, she will be going to
Greece," adding: "All I can tell you is that Greece is an important
ally of the United States. Foreign Minister [Dora] Bakoyannis was here
last week to meet with the secretary [of state], and we've got a lot
of business as well to do with the Greek government. And so I wouldn't
-- folks -- I wouldn't draw conclusions about this."
Wood was later questioned by the same journalist as to whether Clinton
discussed the Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of the late
Ottoman Empire, whether the Cyprus dispute that has put Greece and
Turkey at odds with each other for decades was also on the agenda and
how much money Clinton had proposed to give the Turks for a possible
withdrawal of US troops via Turkey.
11 March 2009, Wednesday
TODAY'S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL
March 11 2009
US spokesman faces questioning on Obama skipping Greece
A US State Department spokesman struggled to explain why US President
Barack Obama has decided to visit Turkey and not its neighbor, Greece,
insisting at a press conference that the president is planning to
visit Turkey to discuss many issues of common concern.
"I think it's quite significant that President Obama will be going to
Turkey. They're working out the details of that visit," State
Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said at a daily press briefing
on Monday. "But Turkey is an important ally, and there's a lot of
business to do with Turkey, and we think it is significant that the
president has decided to go."
The Greek media expressed resentment over Obama's plan to visit Turkey
within the month -- a short time after his secretary of state, Hillary
Clinton, traveled to Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders -- rather
than next turning his attention to Greece, another NATO ally that has
had problematic ties with Turkey in the past.
In the past the US policy was to maintain a balance between its
relations with Turkey and Greece; US officials visiting Turkey also
visited Greece to show that the US equally valued both allies. The
Greek media lamented that the US no longer seems to be concerned about
maintaining such evenhandedness and reported that the upcoming Obama
visit to Turkey could strain relations with Greek diplomats.
Asked whether Obama is also planning to go to Greece, Wood said the
president is not scheduled for such a visit. Regarding Clinton's
plans, Wood remarked, "I think, at some point, she will be going to
Greece," adding: "All I can tell you is that Greece is an important
ally of the United States. Foreign Minister [Dora] Bakoyannis was here
last week to meet with the secretary [of state], and we've got a lot
of business as well to do with the Greek government. And so I wouldn't
-- folks -- I wouldn't draw conclusions about this."
Wood was later questioned by the same journalist as to whether Clinton
discussed the Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of the late
Ottoman Empire, whether the Cyprus dispute that has put Greece and
Turkey at odds with each other for decades was also on the agenda and
how much money Clinton had proposed to give the Turks for a possible
withdrawal of US troops via Turkey.
11 March 2009, Wednesday
TODAY'S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL