Hurriyet DN Online with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 25, 2009 10:13
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed willingness to cooperate with each other during a phone conversation on Tuesday. (UPDATED)
Babacan and Clinton discussed foreign policy issues and spoke about their countries' position regarding the Middle East, Caucasus, Central Asia, Balkans and energy issues, the Anatolian Agency reported.
Clinton praised Turkey's leading role in the region, Hurriyet daily said.
U.S Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell's upcoming visit to Turkey was also discussed during the phone conversation, it added. Mitchell is set to visit Turkey on Wednesday.
Mitchell, who will travel to the Middle East and Europe from Feb. 23 to March 4, is also scheduled to travel to London, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi, Sharm el-Sheikh, Jerusalem and Ramallah.
He will meet with senior officials to discuss the peace process as part of our ongoing efforts to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as between the Jewish state and its other Arab neighbors. He will also join Clinton in Egypt for the March 2 donors conference on Gaza's reconstruction.
Babacan is also expected to attend March's conference, which will be held in Sharm el Sheikh.
"TURKEY'S KEY ROLE"
Ambassador in Ankara, James Jeffrey said Tuesday that the U.S. both acknowledged and supported Turkey's recent key role in the Middle East.
Jeffrey told reporters in Ankara that Mitchell would pay a two-day visit to Turkey.
"We haven't made an official announcement yet but Mitchell will be visiting Turkey for the next two days. This is because Turkey has been playing a key role especially in the Middle East. A constructive role in Iraq and a leading role in Syria, Israel and Lebanon. We support this and want to provide coordination," Jeffrey was quoted by the Anatolian Agency as saying.
He also said the United States was in close cooperation with Turkey against the terrorist organization PKK, when asked to comment on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's recent call on the U.S. to redefine terrorism.
He added the U.S. viewed all groups that deliberately attacked civilians as terrorists, regardless of their motives.
