WASHINGTON - U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said on Thursday that failure to deploy soldiers in Turkey created disappointment, yet that American administration attributed importance to relations with Turkey, and that they were willing to work together with Turkey in stability and rebuilding process of Iraq.
Boucher responded to the questions of reporters. When asked whether or not Turkish-U.S. relations were on the way of separation, Boucher said their policy was what the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had stated during his visit to Turkey. He said that was the disappointment they felt over failure to get approval of majority in the parliament to deploy necessary soldiers to launch operations from Turkey.
Boucher said they had expected that Turkey would make such a cooperation and believed that this would be for the benefit of Turkey as well as the benefits of the United States.
''However,'' Boucher noted they always stressed the importance of relations with Turkey both in front of public and their private conversations. He said they were willing to cooperate with Turkey in stability and rebuilding of Iraq, in formation of a free political future in Iraq, and creating a neighbor for Turkey with which it can set up normal relations.
Stating that a coordination mechanism had been set up with Turkey during the visit of Powell to Turkey regarding cooperation between Turkey and the United States in northern Iraq, Boucher said they expected all the neighbors of Iraq to encourage a pluralist government, peace and stability. He said Turkey would play an important role here.
(AY-AÖ) 08.05.2003