WASHINGTON D.C. - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal said on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell officially invited Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul to Washington.
Ziyal said that the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the United States in coming period was also in question.
Speaking to reporters at the Turkish Embassy in Washington, Ziyal said that he believed that his visit to Washington was well-timed and beneficial, and the basic impression he had gotten was that the United States attributed special importance to continuation of strategic partnership under a constructive and fore-sighted approach towards Turkey.
Ziyal said that Powell had conveyed his official invitation to Gul, and also Erdogan's visit to Washington in coming period was on the agenda.
Under this framework, visits and meetings between the two countries would continue, the Turkish-U.S. Economic Partnership Council would convene in September, and High-Level Military Group meeting would be held in November, he said.
Stressing that he was pleased with his meetings at the U.S. Congress, Ziyal said that even during his meeting with Greek-Greek Cypriot lobby member Democrat Party Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes, they had expressed their opinions mutually, which was a new development, instead of involving in a debate and atmosphere of giving lessons.
''Turkish-U.S. relations are on right track,'' Ziyal said and added that he was pleased with the positive atmosphere he saw, and consultation mechanisms would be increased.
Ziyal added that they had expressed their expectations from the U.S. administration and Congress about the resolution on so-called Armenian claims, and they had expressed their sensitivities.
Ziyal who wrapped up his meetings in the United States will leave for Turkey via New York the same day.
(MS-Öª) 19.06.2003