FM and top general to attend ATC conference
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ümit Enginsoy
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 11, 2009 00:00
WASHINGTON -Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will be among the key Turkish participants at an upcoming conference on U.S.-Turkish relations to be held by the American-Turkish Council, or ATC, according to the council.
This year's conference will take place in Washington between May 31 and June 3.
Başbuğ will be visiting Washington as official guest of Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and attending the conference on the visit's sidelines.
Davutoğlu, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's top policy adviser since 2003 who became foreign minister in an April 30 government reshuffle, is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Among other leading Turkish participants of the conference will be National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönul, State Minister Egemen Bağış responsible for European Union affairs and Transport Minister Binalı Yildirim, the ATC said in a weekend statement.
Representing the U.S. side will be Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Democratic Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry was the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2004 presidential elections. He lost to Republican former President George W. Bush.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has also been invited, but it is not clear yet if he will attend.
Invitations have also been sent to Mullen, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the ATC said.
The annual conference on U.S.-Turkish relations is a forum for government and military officials, business leaders and academics to discuss the issues and opportunities that connect the United States and Turkey.
Başbuğ will be visiting Washington as official guest of Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and attending the conference on the visit's sidelines.
Davutoğlu, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's top policy adviser since 2003 who became foreign minister in an April 30 government reshuffle, is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Among other leading Turkish participants of the conference will be National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönul, State Minister Egemen Bağış responsible for European Union affairs and Transport Minister Binalı Yildirim, the ATC said in a weekend statement.
Representing the U.S. side will be Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Democratic Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry was the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2004 presidential elections. He lost to Republican former President George W. Bush.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has also been invited, but it is not clear yet if he will attend.
Invitations have also been sent to Mullen, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the ATC said.
The annual conference on U.S.-Turkish relations is a forum for government and military officials, business leaders and academics to discuss the issues and opportunities that connect the United States and Turkey.