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TURKISH OFFICIAL SOUNDS UPBEAT ON RELATIONS WITH OBAMA
The White House Bulletin
March 19, 2009 Thursday
USA
A senior Turkish foreign policy official on Thursday morning gave
positive reviews to Turkey's relations with the United States under the
new administration, telling a small group of writers in Washington,
"Our policies are almost identical on all issues." Ahmet Davutoglu,
the chief foreign policy advisor to Turkey's prime minister with
the rank of ambassador, said that his consultations with the State
Department, lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and National Security Council
advisor Gen. James Jones ?
a meeting that ran longer than expected this morning -- had gone
well and covered planning for President Obama's forthcoming historic
visit to Turkey on April 6-7. "There is no historical baggage,"
Davutoglu said of the Turkish-U.S. relationship. He conceded that
since about 2005 there has been a "problem of image perception of
the United States inside Turkey." That was an apparent reference to
multiple problems: the unpopularity of the Bush administration foreign
policy, U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq, the U.S. stance on
Mideast issues, and the U.S. Congress' interest in raising the issue
of whether Turkish actions against Armenians early in the last century
constitute a genocide. Opinion polls in Turkey -- a NATO ally and key
partner for the U.S. in the Muslim world -- have shown dramatically
low favorable ratings for the U.S. in recent years. Davutoglu hailed
Obama's coming trip to Turkey ? Obama's first to a mostly Muslim
country as president. "I am sure it will be a very successful visit,"
he said, adding, "Nothing can shatter this successful visit."
Davutoglu said Turkey would continue to assist Iraq with reconstruction
and do likewise with Afghanistan. He said Turkey would be willing to
continue facilitating indirect talks between Syria and Israel if the
yet-to-be-completed, incoming Israeli government wants to do so. Five
previous rounds of such talks, he said, "achieved a lot."
On Iran, he urged that the nuclear issue be dealt with through the
United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency and that Iran
comply with IAEA requests. He complimented the Obama for sending
"very good messages" on Iran but added that Turkey would not be in
favor of economic sanctions that restrict the flow of energy across
the region ? signaling that if Washington takes that route Turkey,
a needed player in any such operation, would oppose it. -- Bulletin
exclusive from U.S. News
The White House Bulletin
March 19, 2009 Thursday
USA
A senior Turkish foreign policy official on Thursday morning gave
positive reviews to Turkey's relations with the United States under the
new administration, telling a small group of writers in Washington,
"Our policies are almost identical on all issues." Ahmet Davutoglu,
the chief foreign policy advisor to Turkey's prime minister with
the rank of ambassador, said that his consultations with the State
Department, lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and National Security Council
advisor Gen. James Jones ?
a meeting that ran longer than expected this morning -- had gone
well and covered planning for President Obama's forthcoming historic
visit to Turkey on April 6-7. "There is no historical baggage,"
Davutoglu said of the Turkish-U.S. relationship. He conceded that
since about 2005 there has been a "problem of image perception of
the United States inside Turkey." That was an apparent reference to
multiple problems: the unpopularity of the Bush administration foreign
policy, U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq, the U.S. stance on
Mideast issues, and the U.S. Congress' interest in raising the issue
of whether Turkish actions against Armenians early in the last century
constitute a genocide. Opinion polls in Turkey -- a NATO ally and key
partner for the U.S. in the Muslim world -- have shown dramatically
low favorable ratings for the U.S. in recent years. Davutoglu hailed
Obama's coming trip to Turkey ? Obama's first to a mostly Muslim
country as president. "I am sure it will be a very successful visit,"
he said, adding, "Nothing can shatter this successful visit."
Davutoglu said Turkey would continue to assist Iraq with reconstruction
and do likewise with Afghanistan. He said Turkey would be willing to
continue facilitating indirect talks between Syria and Israel if the
yet-to-be-completed, incoming Israeli government wants to do so. Five
previous rounds of such talks, he said, "achieved a lot."
On Iran, he urged that the nuclear issue be dealt with through the
United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency and that Iran
comply with IAEA requests. He complimented the Obama for sending
"very good messages" on Iran but added that Turkey would not be in
favor of economic sanctions that restrict the flow of energy across
the region ? signaling that if Washington takes that route Turkey,
a needed player in any such operation, would oppose it. -- Bulletin
exclusive from U.S. News