| Turkey, US set to talk foreign policy |
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ANKARA - Longtime allies Turkey and the United States will review their bilateral relations when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Ankara next weekend, the Anatolia news agency reported Friday.
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan invited Clinton to Turkey during a phone call on Tuesday, the agency said. Babacan and Clinton will come together at two different international meetings next week Ð a donors’ conference in Egypt for the reconstruction of Gaza and the NATO foreign ministers’ summit in Brussels on Mar. 5 Ð before their one-on-one talks in Ankara, which will probably be held Mar. 7. Clinton will also meet with President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan.
Middle East on the agenda
Though the U.S. has not yet officially asked Turkey to send more combat troops to Afghanistan, the issue will no doubt be on Clinton’s agenda. The Turkish military has around 800 soldiers in the capital city of Kabul, as part of a NATO force, and is not very keen to send more. Babacan recently underlined Turkey’s contribution to Afghanistan in the fields of health and education, implying that it had no intention to send more troops, at least for the time being.
Iraq will be another top issue, especially regarding whether Turkey will let Washington use its territories and bases to pull out troops and equipment. Turkish diplomats have stated:" In the case of an official request, Turkey will not close its borders and bases to Washington, but all procedures should be negotiated and agreed on."
The Middle East, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict, will also be on the agenda. After a meeting late Thursday, Turkey’s National Security Council, or MGK, released a written statement saying: "Turkey will continue to contribute to the efforts to find lasting settlement and stability in the Middle East."
As for Turkey’s priorities, Babacan and other Turkish officials are expected to press Clinton over the possibility of recognition of the Armenian claims of genocide by the Congress. Turkish authorities have made their message to Washington, saying: "Such moves would not only hurt bilateral ties, but also the process of rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia." |
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