ISTANBUL - U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson paid on Wednesday farewell visit to Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler.
Pearson said that ''difficult days between his country and Turkey were left behind'' and noted that ''they had to start from a new ground and work hand in hand.''
He was working in Turkey for three years and he would return back to his country at the end of the month, Pearson recalled.
Pearson said that he would never forgot friendly Turkish people and he would always remember them.
Asked what the incidents which saddened and pleased him during his three-year mandate in Turkey were, Pearson said that the pleasing incident was to meet Turkish people and that he had learned new things when talking to Turkish people.
Therefore, Pearson noted, the best thing was to share many things with Turkish people.
Pearson said that he did not experience any saddening incident and stated that he had done his job.
Noting that he worked hand in hand with Turkish government and people, Pearson said that everybody knew that some difficult days has been experienced, but those days were left behind.
They had to start from a new ground and work hand in hand, Pearson pointed out.
Pearson said that he would miss Turkey, but that was his job, adding that his mandate in Turkey was over and he would start a new mandate.
Guler said that Pearson exerted very important efforts in Turkey during his three-year mandate.
''He knows Turkey well. He has made every kind of contribution to further improvement of Turkish-U.S. relations. I believe that he will also make important contribution to development of Turkish-U.S. relations after his mandate is over,'' Guler added.
(BRC-AÖ) 02.07.2003