KAYSERI - The United States opened an information office in Kayseri Chamber of Commerce (KTO) on Wednesday.
Speaking in the ceremony, U.S. Chief Counselor to Turkey Robert Deutsch said that people were asking questions about cooperation and relations between Turkey and the United States recently and added he could find the answer there.
Deutsch noted that he had the opportunity to take place in efforts between Turkey and the United States in the most difficult period of bilateral relations last year.
They witnessed discussions and misunderstandings in recent months, Deutsch stated.
Deutsch pointed out that they heard people saying that there were problems in relations and read articles in newspapers that some mistakes had been made in the past.
Same people searched people to lay the responsibility of the mistakes, Deutsch said.
Deutsch said that people were asking questions about cooperation and relations between Turkey and the United States recently and added he could find the answer there.
Relations were leaving the past behind and heading for the future, Deutsch pointed out.
Deutsch said that they were opening a new door for the future in that chamber that day.
They were looking forward to see businessmen of Kayseri to come to that office to contact with U.S. companies, learn how commercial relations could be established, Deutsch noted.
Deutsch said that they also expected to see Turkish students in the office to receive information about issues from engineering to mathematics, from history to literature in the United States.
Stating that taking visa to go to the United States was a complicated procedure, Deutsch said that problems could be overcome as some of the visa procedures were carried out in that office.
Deutsch proposed to protect that office as symbol of multi-lateral relations heading for the future.
KTO Chairman Hasan Ali Kilci said that the office would be very beneficial for Kayseri and added, ''I think that the office is very important for improvement of our commercial and social relations with ally United States. The preference of the United States to open the office in KTO should be considered a success of our former services.''
It was stated that the ''U.S. Information Office'' opened in KTO was the first information office of the United States in Turkey and the devices, equipment and materials to be used in the office were met by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
Meanwhile, a statement of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said that similar information offices would also be opened under the auspices of Gaziantep Chamber of Industry and Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The statement noted that the offices would be under the auspices of the concerned chambers.
(BRC-AÖ) 18.06.2003