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Daily Sabah, Turkey
March 27 2015
Turkish, American speakers agree on a need for closer cooperation
RAGIP SOYLU
WASHINGTON, D.C.
On his visit to the U.S. capital, the speaker of Parliament raised his
concerns regarding the hesitant U.S. foreign policy in the region and
warned for severe consequences of sectarian clashes in Syria and Iraq.
Cemil Çiçek, the speaker of Parliament, along with four other members
of Parliament met the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, Orrin
Hatch, and the speaker of the U.S. House of Representative, John
Boehner, on Wednesday and discussed a wide variety of topics including
the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the
proposed Armenian Genocide Recognition Resolution currently under
consideration in the House of Representatives.
Çiçek conveyed Turkish criticism of the current U.S. foreign policy in
the region, specifically in Iraq and Syria, and underlined the need
for a comprehensive strategy on ISIS. "The U.S. should eventually
determine the fate of [Syrian President] Bashar Assad," he said,
according to Å?aban DiÅ?li, Turkish-American Friendship Group chairman
in Parliament, who attended the meetings and disclosed the details of
the talks to Daily Sabah.
Çiçek, who will complete his term this year in June, asked for
Boehner's support for a no-fly zone and a safe zone in Syria to
shelter Syrian refugees and strengthen Syrian opposition forces in the
north of the country. "Turkey might do more for the training of Syrian
opposition forces, but we also expect more cooperation on ISIS." he
added.
DiÅ?li said that Boehner had responded to Çiçek's comments positively
and agreed that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama
should not treat Kurdish militant PKK as a humanitarian organization
just because Syrian the PKK-linked Democratic Union Party (PYD) was
waging war on ISIS in northern Syria.
The two leaders also exchanged their views on the proposed Armenian
Genocide Recognition Resolution, which was introduced to Congress last
week with 43 bipartisan signatories. Boehner, noting his visit to
Turkey last year, reiterated his stance on the resolution and said
that he would not bring it to the House floor if it passes through
committee.
DiÅ?li said that neither senators nor representatives asked questions
about Gülen Movement-sponsored letters from Congress addressed to U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry urging the State Department to pressure
Turkey on press freedoms.
"We invited our American friends to visit Ankara, [it's] very likely
[they will come] in late May. Those bilateral contacts are solidifying
our partnership and increasing mutual trust to move together in the
future" he said.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/03/27/turkish-american-speakers-agree-on-a-need-for-closer-cooperation
From: Baghdasarian
March 27 2015
Turkish, American speakers agree on a need for closer cooperation
RAGIP SOYLU
WASHINGTON, D.C.
On his visit to the U.S. capital, the speaker of Parliament raised his
concerns regarding the hesitant U.S. foreign policy in the region and
warned for severe consequences of sectarian clashes in Syria and Iraq.
Cemil Çiçek, the speaker of Parliament, along with four other members
of Parliament met the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, Orrin
Hatch, and the speaker of the U.S. House of Representative, John
Boehner, on Wednesday and discussed a wide variety of topics including
the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the
proposed Armenian Genocide Recognition Resolution currently under
consideration in the House of Representatives.
Çiçek conveyed Turkish criticism of the current U.S. foreign policy in
the region, specifically in Iraq and Syria, and underlined the need
for a comprehensive strategy on ISIS. "The U.S. should eventually
determine the fate of [Syrian President] Bashar Assad," he said,
according to Å?aban DiÅ?li, Turkish-American Friendship Group chairman
in Parliament, who attended the meetings and disclosed the details of
the talks to Daily Sabah.
Çiçek, who will complete his term this year in June, asked for
Boehner's support for a no-fly zone and a safe zone in Syria to
shelter Syrian refugees and strengthen Syrian opposition forces in the
north of the country. "Turkey might do more for the training of Syrian
opposition forces, but we also expect more cooperation on ISIS." he
added.
DiÅ?li said that Boehner had responded to Çiçek's comments positively
and agreed that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama
should not treat Kurdish militant PKK as a humanitarian organization
just because Syrian the PKK-linked Democratic Union Party (PYD) was
waging war on ISIS in northern Syria.
The two leaders also exchanged their views on the proposed Armenian
Genocide Recognition Resolution, which was introduced to Congress last
week with 43 bipartisan signatories. Boehner, noting his visit to
Turkey last year, reiterated his stance on the resolution and said
that he would not bring it to the House floor if it passes through
committee.
DiÅ?li said that neither senators nor representatives asked questions
about Gülen Movement-sponsored letters from Congress addressed to U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry urging the State Department to pressure
Turkey on press freedoms.
"We invited our American friends to visit Ankara, [it's] very likely
[they will come] in late May. Those bilateral contacts are solidifying
our partnership and increasing mutual trust to move together in the
future" he said.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/03/27/turkish-american-speakers-agree-on-a-need-for-closer-cooperation
From: Baghdasarian