U.S. Is Expecting Turkey's Contribution Regarding Iraq Issue

ANKARA - New U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman conveyed on Wednesday the message that the United States saw Turkey as strategical partner during his courtesy visit to Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
Edelman said in the meeting that he would work for the development of cooperation between Turkey and the United States.
Edelman said that the United States was expecting contribution of Turkey on Iraq issue in the meeting in which recent developments in Iraq and Turkey's sending soldiers to the region were also taken up, sources said.
Gul, who informed Edelman regarding the process in Ankara during the meeting, said that evaluations regarding the issue were continuing.
Gul also expressed his pleasure with appointment of a person to Ankara from the team of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
Bilateral relations, Iraq issue, Cyprus issue, Middle East issue and human smuggling report of the United States were taken up in the meeting. Turkey wants to be removed from the third group that it was placed in the report.
(GC-AÖ) 27.08.2003