Erdogan: Turkey And United States Share Same Point Of View

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey and the United States shared the same point of view towards many issues.
Erdogan addressed opening remarks of the 24th Annual Convention of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) in Washington.
Relations and cooperation with the United States were one of cornerstones of Turkey's foreign policy, Erdogan noted.
Erdogan said that Turkey and the United States had strategic partnership.
Two countries shared same point of view towards many issues, Erdogan stressed.
Erdogan said that two countries were in an effort to find a common solution to problems.
Commitment to democracy, preservation and improvement of personal freedoms through laws and rules were common basic principles on which Turkey and the United States were based, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan said that he held very fruitful meetings during his visit to the United States.
He and U.S. officials planned to further improve existing bilateral relations, Erdogan pointed out.
Erdogan stated that Turkey and the United States agreed to maintain close relationship.
Turkey was a country which had achieved to co-exist democracy and Islam culture, Erdogan emphasized.
Erdogan said that Turkey's relations with regional countries were very different from relations that a country of another culture would establish in the same region.
''Approach of any country than Turkey will cause a negative reaction in the region. This is an advantage that should be made use of by the United States,'' Erdogan added.
ERDOGAN CALLS ON TURKS IN UNITED STATES TO JOIN POLITICS
Erdogan called on Turkish citizens living in the United States not to be assimilated but to integrate with the society they were living.
Encouraging Turks who had become U.S. citizens to join politics in the United States, Erdogan gave the message that Turks should not be asocial.
Erdogan stated that informing U.S. public opinion accurately would be the most important function of ATAA.
ERDOGAN: TURKEY AIMS TO FIND FOREIGN LINKS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
Erdogan said, ''fundamentalist terrorism is never a religious terrorism. None of celestial religions permit terrorism.''
Erdogan said that he found ''Islamic terrorism'' approach very wrong.
ERDOGAN: IF EU WANTS TO BE A MEETING PLACE OF CIVILIZATIONS, IT SHOULD ACCEPT TURKEY
Erdogan said that it was Turkey's most natural right to start negotiation process with the EU in December 2004.
''We have fulfilled requirements of Copenhagen criteria at the greatest extent. Forty years have passed. Turkey has achieved many things and overtaken the countries which are in the same position. Living standards of our people have been raised. Have these standards reached the ideal point? No. There are people who can't get used to it but they will get used in time,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan stated that Turkey did not see EU as only an economic union and did not want to see it as a Christian club.
If EU wanted to be a place where civilizations met, it should accept Turkey, Erdogan said.
Erdogan said that EU membership of a Turkey, which had roots in Islamic culture, would change point of view of Islam world with one and a half billions of population towards EU.
Thus, Erdogan noted, EU would show that it was a union of political goals not a coal-steel union or an economic union.
ERDOGAN: TURKEY WILL NEVER LET ANYBODY SAY TURKISH SIDE IS PARTY RUNNING AWAY FROM CYPRUS NEGOTIATION TABLE
Stating that Turkish side was tried to be shown as the party running away from negotiation table in Cyprus issue, Erdogan said that recent steps had disproved that opinion.
Erdogan said that some circles showed steps taken in Cyprus issues as a ''give and get rid of approach.''
''None of Turkish citizens can assume an 'give and get rid of' attitude towards Cyprus issue. This is nonsense. We won't let anybody say that it is the Turkish side who runs away from the negotiation table,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan stated that Turkey wanted EU's support to solve Cyprus issue.

ERDOGAN PROCEEDS FROM WASHINGTON TO BOSTON
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proceeded on Friday from Washington to Boston on Friday.
Erdogan is expected to meet with Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and then deliver a speech at the Harvard University in Boston.
(BRC) 30.01.2004