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ANKARA: Turkey Can Always Count On America, Say US Senators

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  • ANKARA: Turkey Can Always Count On America, Say US Senators

    Turkey can always count on America, say US senators

    Today's Zaman
    June 2 2009
    Turkey

    "Turkey can always depend on the US, while the US can always rely
    on its close friend Turkey" was the powerful message delivered by a
    group of Democratic senators and a congressman who paid a brief visit
    to the Turkish capital last week.

    Following in the footsteps of US President Barack Obama, who paid a
    historic visit to Turkey in April, a delegation from the US Congress
    represented by three senators and one congressman also delivered their
    own message to their Turkish counterparts on Friday. Senators Robert
    (Bob) Casey of Pennsylvania, Edward E. Kaufman of Delaware and Frank
    Lautenberg of New Jersey along with Congressman Timothy Waltz from
    Minnesota -- all Democrats -- met with Turkish officials to discuss
    a number of bilateral issues.

    Stressing that Turkish-US relations will improve and gain strength,
    Casey said with the new administration and new Congress in place,
    challenges and common threats face both Turkey and the United
    States. "As [Abraham] Lincoln said, we should appeal to 'the better
    angels of our nature' in our relations," he said, adding that he had
    personally learned much during his talks in Ankara.

    Casey also told Today's Zaman that he appreciated the backing
    of Turkish-Americans in his state when he launched his bid for a
    senate seat to oust incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum in
    2006. Turkish-Americans had run fund-raising campaigns to support
    Casey at the time. Even though the number of Turkish-Americans in
    Pennsylvania is small, their influence is much greater as most are
    representatives of the well-educated and affluent class, which is
    very active in the community and state affairs of Pennsylvania.

    Casey said, "The message on Armenia was helpful to hear from Turkish
    officials." Turkey and Armenia started a process of normalization in
    2007 and are working to find a solution to common problems under the
    brokerage of Swiss mediators. Senator Casey did not support Senate
    Resolution 106, which calls for recognition of the Armenian genocide,
    and declined to support another resolution drafted in connection with
    the 2007 assassination of Hrant Dink, the Armenian-Turkish journalist,
    by a Turkish teenage hit man in Ä°stanbul.

    "What you are doing on the Armenian and Cyprus issues is making our
    jobs in the Senate easier," said Kaufman, who replaced Vice President
    Joe Biden when he vacated his Senate seat. "The reason we are here
    is that we care about Turkey," he added. Kauffman talked about the
    countries' similarities in terms of the search for basic liberties
    and democratic values. "Your position stands out," he emphasized,
    recalling Obama's extraordinary visit last April.

    Turkey-US Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group leader and Justice and
    Development Party (AK Party) deputy from Antalya Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu
    said the bilateral relations between Turkey and the US are improving
    rapidly. "The US providing a real-time actionable intelligence feed is
    a notable development in helping us fight terrorist Kurdistan Workers'
    Party [PKK] activities in southeastern Turkey," he said. CavuÅ~_oglu
    further stated that the strained relations felt during the previous
    administration were rapidly recuperating based on what Obama described
    as a "model partnership" between a predominantly Christian nation
    and a predominantly Muslim nation with a unity based on ideals and
    values rather than religious faiths.

    CavuÅ~_oglu hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting congressional
    delegation in Ankara on Friday. Representatives from the main
    opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and advocacy group leaders
    from trade and media organizations also attended the dinner.
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