SENER: RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES BRING IMPORTANT BENEFIT TO BOTH SIDES
ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said on Tuesday that relations between Turkey and the United States brought important benefits and interests to both sides.
Sener said, ''Turkey helped in all issues apart from the rejection of Parliamentary motion on March 1, 2003 regarded with deployment of U.S. soldiers to Turkey within the scope of U.S. action against Iraq.''
Turkish-American Businessmen Association (TABA) hosted lunch as term in office of U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Robert Pearson expired in Turkey.
Speaking at lunch, Sener said Pearson, during his three-year old term in office, contributed a lot to the efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Listing the historical developments in Turkish-American relations, Sener said United States helped Turkey on Turkey's EU full membership, Caspian origin energy transmission lines, and in economic crisis, stating that they expected support of the United States to continue.
Sener said Turkey expended important facilities to the United States in Gulf War, Middle East Peace Process and issues like Afghanistan.
''Thus, relations brought important interests and benefits to both sides,'' Sener stated, adding that, ''Turkish government covered a transparent attitude toward the United States on Iraq issue by giving the most accurate information.''
Pointing out that there were alliance relations between the two countries, and that they were based on mutual interests, Sener said, ''relations take place in a very wide fan that can not be reduced to some specific incidents.''
Sener recalled that there were not any change in principle values which linked the two countries, adding that, ''those are our respect to democracy, freedom and supremacy of law, and fight against terrorism.''
Sener mentioned economic relations between the two countries. He said trade volume between the two countries, which had increased to 6.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2000, decreased to 6.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2002. He said efforts should be exerted to remove the obstacles in front of bilateral trade.
Recalling that the draft, pertaining to betterment of investment atmosphere, was under discussion in the Parliament, Sener said they expected U.S. investments in Turkey to increase after legalization of this draft.
(AY) 03.06.2003