Sat, Feb 11 2012

Obama set for visit to Turkey

Sat, Mar 07 2009 16:09 CET 1434 Views 4 Comments
Obama set for visit to Turkey

President Barack Obama is set to visit Turkey within a few weeks, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said on a visit to Ankara.

The visit comes at a time when relations between Washington and Ankara have ben strained, particularly following Turkey's well publicised criticism of Israel's invasion of Gaza.

Clinton met prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the first visit by a member of the new US administration to Turkey. During Clinton's trip Turkey's foreign minister said Ankara was ready to re-launch indirect talks between Syria and Israel. Mrs Clinton said the importance of building relations between Israel and Syria could not be overstated. Turkey was mediating those talks until recently, but foreign minister Ali Babacan said any request to resume that role must come from both sides.

It was at a joint news conference that Clinton revealed the news of Obama's forthcoming visit. "The exact date will be announced shortly," she said. The two allies would consult on the safest and most effective way to withdraw US forces from Iraq, she added.

President Obama is due to head for Europe next month to attend the G20 summit in London on 2 April.

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Comments

Anonymous Prof Mon, Mar 30 2009 19:46 CET

Ratkov, you have no idea about world politics, therefore, be quite until you learn.

Anonymous mike Wed, Mar 11 2009 16:09 CET

I think you need to recognice that Turkey joining the EU will have a fairly negative effect on the EU as a whole in the short term.
It would be great for Bulgaria however!
and the long term benefit would be excellent for the EU as there is a large amount of currency being spent in Turkey
Viva Bulgaria I love the country and all my family from the US are moving to burgas

Anonymous Anthony Ratkov Tue, Mar 10 2009 08:22 CET

It's a mistake for Obama to visit Turkey because of Turkey's brutal oppression of the Kurdish minority. Although approximately 20 percent of Turkey's population is Kurdish,the Kurds have no real political power or influence in Turkey. Obama will probably play the role of a coward,and he will ignore the Kurds during his visit to Turkey. The Turkish government will probably suppress any Kurdish voices during Obama's visit,so Obama never hears them. Obama's real reason for visiting Turkey is to support the idea of Turkey joining the European Union.

Anonymous Anthony Ratkov Sun, Mar 08 2009 22:55 CET

The Turks are making a mistake if they allow Obama to visit Turkey. Obama is the worst Afro-Fascist in the world. The worst Afro-fascists were Malcolm X,Louis Farrakhan,and of course,Obama himself. A few months ago,Louis Farrakhan said Obama was a messiah,and Obama never denied it. He never said,'shut your mouth,Farrakhan,I'm not a messiah,I'm just a man! he never did anything to distance himself from Farrakhan. Obama's visit to Turkey implies that Obama is endorsing the idea of Turkish accession to the European Union. If Turkey joins the European Union,you will have to pay particular attention to any gas pipelines that [...]

Read the full comment carry Russian gas through Turkey to Bulgarian customers. If Turkey becomes an EU member,I suggest that you demand the establishment of a security zone,around every Turkish pipeline. You could call it the pipeline security zone. The pipeline security zone would extend for one kilometer north of the pipeline,one kilometer south of the pipeline,and would also extend the entire length of the pipeline. The European Union would have to establish certain rules for the pipeline security zone,for example,you should not allow a mosque to be built in the pipeline security zone,since any mosque may be a headquarters for Islamic terrorists. Islamic terrorists may try to destroy the pipeline,so Islamic organizations should not be allowed to build their headquarters in the pipeline security zone. Alcoholic beverages should be illegal in the pipeline security zone,and smoking should also be illegal in the pipeline security zone. Guns and other weapons would not be allowed in the pipeline security zone. The idea that the Turks should be responsible for the security of the pipeline is madness,pipeline security should be handled by a multi-national force,the troops in the multi-national force should come from all parts of the Balkans. Naturally,the leadership of the multi-national force should be Bulgarians.


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