Obama highlights Turkey`s role in volatile S Caucasus
US President Barack Obama has told his Turkish
counterpart Abdullah Gul that Turkey had an indispensable task of
leadership in the volatile South Caucasus region.
Obama phoned Gul on Monday and the conversation between the two leaders lasted about 30 minutes, Dogan news agency said.
Gul`s office said Obama had praised Turkey`s leadership in the regional issues. The two leaders also "re-affirmed the will to work together, reviewing regional as well as international issues," it added. President Obama emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Turkey alliance and expressed his desire to work on a "broad agenda" of mutual strategic interest.
Obama said he hoped to strengthen ties with Turkey and expressed support for its growing relationship with Iraq.
"In both calls, the leaders discussed a number of current issues, including U.S. support for the growing Turkish-Iraqi relationship, the importance of cooperation in Middle East peace efforts, and the U.S. review on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy," the White House said in a statement.
According to the Turkish president`s press-center, issues regarding the situation in the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, the Middle East and the European Union were high on agenda.
The two leaders did not talk over the recent row between Turkey and Israel during which Prime Minister Erdogan clashed with Israeli President Simon Peres in the course of discussions on the situation in the Gaza Strip. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Erdogan took a tough stance against Israel`s military action. In response to the Israeli president, who defended Tel-Aviv`s latest military campaign, Erdogan accused Israel of killing innocent people. He subsequently left the event after having the argument.
The Turkish president`s press-center also underlined that this was the longest phone talk held by the US and Turkish heads of state in many years.
On the same day, Obama had a phone conversation with the Turkish premier.
According to the White House, and both Gul and Erdogan`s offices, Obama and the Turkish officials discussed the Middle East, including Iraq and Iran, Afghanistan and issues regarding Armenia. The White House described the discussions as "warm and productive."
This is the highest-level contact of the new administration in Washington with Ankara since Obama took office on January 20. Earlier in February US Vice President Joe Biden met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on the sidelines of a security conference.
The issue of 1915 developments in Ottoman Turkey was high on the agenda of Obama-Erdogan discussion as well. Gul told the US president that a legislation that would recognize the Armenian claims regarding the events should not be put before Congress.
The issue of 1915 incidents is highly sensitive for Turkey as well as Armenia. Around 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.
However Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kins were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet in accepting Turkey`s proposal of forming a commission to investigate the claims.
Erdogan underlined the importance of strategic cooperation. "Turkey`s stance on policies regarding the Middle East and Armenia is clear. America`s fair and impartial approach (to these issues) is important in order to prevent any damage to the bilateral relations," Erdogan was quoted as telling Obama.
The US president welcomed the recent restored dialogue between Turkey and Armenia, signaling under the existing circumstances he would refrain from taking any step that would harm these efforts.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence due to Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian genocide claims. Yerevan is failing both to end occupation and to relinquish its territorial claims against Turkey, as well as continues propagating the alleged genocide all over the world.
Obama phoned Gul on Monday and the conversation between the two leaders lasted about 30 minutes, Dogan news agency said.
Gul`s office said Obama had praised Turkey`s leadership in the regional issues. The two leaders also "re-affirmed the will to work together, reviewing regional as well as international issues," it added. President Obama emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Turkey alliance and expressed his desire to work on a "broad agenda" of mutual strategic interest.
Obama said he hoped to strengthen ties with Turkey and expressed support for its growing relationship with Iraq.
"In both calls, the leaders discussed a number of current issues, including U.S. support for the growing Turkish-Iraqi relationship, the importance of cooperation in Middle East peace efforts, and the U.S. review on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy," the White House said in a statement.
According to the Turkish president`s press-center, issues regarding the situation in the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, the Middle East and the European Union were high on agenda.
The two leaders did not talk over the recent row between Turkey and Israel during which Prime Minister Erdogan clashed with Israeli President Simon Peres in the course of discussions on the situation in the Gaza Strip. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Erdogan took a tough stance against Israel`s military action. In response to the Israeli president, who defended Tel-Aviv`s latest military campaign, Erdogan accused Israel of killing innocent people. He subsequently left the event after having the argument.
The Turkish president`s press-center also underlined that this was the longest phone talk held by the US and Turkish heads of state in many years.
On the same day, Obama had a phone conversation with the Turkish premier.
According to the White House, and both Gul and Erdogan`s offices, Obama and the Turkish officials discussed the Middle East, including Iraq and Iran, Afghanistan and issues regarding Armenia. The White House described the discussions as "warm and productive."
This is the highest-level contact of the new administration in Washington with Ankara since Obama took office on January 20. Earlier in February US Vice President Joe Biden met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on the sidelines of a security conference.
The issue of 1915 developments in Ottoman Turkey was high on the agenda of Obama-Erdogan discussion as well. Gul told the US president that a legislation that would recognize the Armenian claims regarding the events should not be put before Congress.
The issue of 1915 incidents is highly sensitive for Turkey as well as Armenia. Around 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.
However Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kins were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet in accepting Turkey`s proposal of forming a commission to investigate the claims.
Erdogan underlined the importance of strategic cooperation. "Turkey`s stance on policies regarding the Middle East and Armenia is clear. America`s fair and impartial approach (to these issues) is important in order to prevent any damage to the bilateral relations," Erdogan was quoted as telling Obama.
The US president welcomed the recent restored dialogue between Turkey and Armenia, signaling under the existing circumstances he would refrain from taking any step that would harm these efforts.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence due to Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian genocide claims. Yerevan is failing both to end occupation and to relinquish its territorial claims against Turkey, as well as continues propagating the alleged genocide all over the world.
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