A senior US State Department official responsible for Middle Eastern affairs, Gordon Gray, visited Ankara in March 2006 and held talks with Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ahmet Uzumcu. After the meeting, Gray told reporters that Türkiye and the United States face shared challenges in the region and would maintain ongoing dialogue to address them.
On Iran's nuclear ambitions, Gray said a nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize the region, and that both countries hold a common position on the matter. He emphasized Washington's commitment to diplomacy, expressing respect for EU-Iran negotiations, the International Atomic Energy Agency process, and UN involvement. He welcomed Türkiye's support for that diplomatic path, noting it was vital for Tehran to recognize that concern over its nuclear program extends across the international community, not only from Western powers.
Regarding US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Halilzad's mandate to hold talks with Iranian officials, Gray clarified that Secretary of State Rice had authorized those discussions earlier, though Iran had only recently disclosed them publicly. The bilateral talks would focus on serious Iraq-related issues, and Gray urged Iran to honor the 2004 Sharm el-Sheikh agreement barring outside interference in Iraqi internal affairs.
Gray denied that Washington was seeking any military commitments from Türkiye, reiterating that the US remains fully dedicated to a diplomatic resolution.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in March 2006, in its own words.