WASHINGTON - Delegation of Turkish-U.S. Interparliamentary Friendship Group headed by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Egemen Bagis held meetings in the U.S. Congress and White House in Washington on Tuesday.
Turkish parliamentary delegation firstly met with ''The Livingston Group'' which lobbies in favor of Turkey and then had a meeting with Tom Delay, the leader of the majority at the U.S. House of Representatives.
Attending meetings in think-tanks named Nixon Center and National Democratic Institute, the Turkish delegation met with American-Turkish Council at a working meal.
Turkish parliamentary delegation also met with Scooter Libby, the Chief of Staff to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
Turkish delegation is comprised of Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy and former Turkish Ambassador to the United States Sukru Elekdag, AK Party deputies Ziyaeddin Akbulut, Abdullah Torun and Atilla Koc, and CHP deputies Damla Gurel as well as Bagis.
Bagis, who heads the delegation, delivered on Monday a speech on Turkish-U.S. relations, NATO, Great Middle East Project in the Washington Institute. Photographs showing U.S. soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners had a negative impact not only in Turkey, but also in the entire world, he said.
Egemen Bagis also said that further improvement of U.S.-Turkish relations was for the interests of two countries.
Bagis pointed to importance of NATO summit to be held in Istanbul in June.
Stating that NATO's existence should be protected, Bagis said that NATO was uniting two continents and creating a better atmosphere of understanding with its new members.
The delegation met with U.S. National Security Council Senior Director for European and Eurasian Affairs and U.S. President George W. Bush's special assistant Dan Fried at the White House later on Monday.
Turkish parliamentary delegation is expected to return to Turkey on May 16.
(BRC-AÖ) 12.05.2004