Turkey to carefully watch new U.S. administration after Obama's win

"Your message of change and hope meets today's expectations. Turkey embraces this message," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in a letter of congratulations he sent to U.S. President- elect Barack Obama. The original version of the letter was aired on the web site of the presidency on Wednesday.

The president highlighted the importance of Turkish-U.S. friendship, based upon such universally accepted values as freedom, democracy and human rights, and reiterated Turkey's resolve to improve the strategic partnership with Washington, especially in the fight on terrorism.

The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Turkey praised the election as a, "miracle of American democracy that a poor African-American, from a broken family, could rise to become the leader of our country."

"That he could do so, less than 40 years after the great civil rights struggle of America, is especially remarkable and it is a source of great pride," said Ambassador Ross Wilson in brief remarks.

UNKNOWN FUTURE
On Turkish-American relations, he underlined that there were always changes from president to president, but also great continuity.

"President after president has understood the importance of Turkey to the United States and of the United States to Turkey. President after president has engaged seriously and in a very sustained way with Turkish leaders for decades," Wilson said.

But he added that he did not know what the future held.

"Like all of you, I look forward to seeing the movie that we will be watching over the four years of the Obama administration. But I am sure that we will remain friends and remain engaged and the close bonds between our two countries will endure in many presidential terms to follow."

The desire to reach the stars is ambitious but the desire to reach hearts is wise. The election campaign in the United States has shown that this is Obama's wisdom, said a member of a panel at the beginning of a long night Tuesday in the Turkish capital.

The event was part of a traditional over-night election-watch at the Turkish-American Association in Ankara. The morning heralded the winner, the first black American leader in U.S. history.

"The American people have expressed their desire for change," said Ambassador Wilson. Defeating his Republican rival, John McCain, Democrat candidate, Obama, was elected as the 44th president of the United States.

"The election result shows there is no longer a black-white problem in the United States," said Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, describing it as a turning point in American history.

But Obama-led policies, especially on the 1915 incidents, remain to be seen.

Erdogan expressed belief that the statement Obama made during the election campaign would remain election rhetoric. If elected president, Obama had pledged to recognize the 1915 incidents.

The Turkish premier also said foreign ministry diplomats would seek an opportunity to meet Obama during a visit to the United States next week. Erdogan will attend an economic summit in Washington on Nov. 15, when the current financial crisis, its causes and efforts to resolve it will be discussed.

NEW LOBBY COMPANY
Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal sent a letter of congratulation to Obama via the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, said press reports.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Turkey changed its lobbying company in the United States seven months ago, giving it to the Democrats. The government refused to renew the contract with Republican Bob Livingston last April, whose company had been lobbying against Armenian "genocide" resolutions.

Analysts predicted Obama-led policies, especially on the Armenian issue, could be risky for the future of Turkish-American ties but admitted there was also room for optimism.

"Obama could inspire hope and confidence among Turks who turned out to be one of the most anti-American nations during the Bush administration," Sanli Bahadir Koc, expert at the Center for Eurasia Studies, told the Hurriyet Daily News.

"Obama is a leader who deserves credit, but a crisis over the alleged "genocide" could open deeper and irreparable wounds in bilateral ties," he warned. "Obama is a wise and realist leader but history is full of mistakes made by such leaders."

Kamer Kasim of the International Strategic Research Organization said he believed an Obama-led administration would engage in efforts to repair the deteriorated image of the United States especially in the Muslim world, following the Iraq war.