ANKARA - U.S. President George Bush arrived in Turkish capital of Ankara on Saturday to have official meetings.
U.S. President Bush and his wife Laura Bush are accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
Security measures have been tightened at Ankara`s Esenboga Airport.
The U.S. delegation accompanying Bush is comprised of 600 people.
U.S. President Bush did not make any statement at the airport and left the airport by an armored limousine.
Bush and the accompanying delegation are being escorted by many guards and vehicles.
Alternative routes have been drawn for Bush and accompanying delegation due to security reasons. Special forces are on alert in these routes.
Sources say that there would be a decoy car using another route than that the limousine carrying Bush and his wife is using.
Seven thousand security forces have ensured security at Ankara`s Esenboga Airport and the route to be used by Bush`s limousine.
Bush will firstly meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell are also expected to attend the meeting.
U.S. President George Bush will visit Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the Founder of Turkish Republic, and then meet with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Following their meeting, Bush will attend working lunch to be hosted at the Presidential Palace.
Bush and accompanying delegation will proceed to Istanbul following their meetings in Ankara. U.S. President Bush is scheduled to attend NATO summit in Istanbul between June 28 and 29.
U.S. President Bush is expected to discuss bilateral relations, Iraq, presence of the terrorist organization in the north of Iraq, Cyprus, Turkey`s European Union (EU) process, U.S. global defense strategy, NATO summit, Middle East and Afghanistan during his visit to Ankara.
Presence of the terrorist organization in the north of Iraq will be the most important issue to be taken up during Bush`s meetings.
Turkey will once more express its expectations about elimination of the terrorist organization from the north of Iraq, and about concrete steps of the United States regarding this issue.
Turkey will ask the U.S. administration to be more consistent in its statements and decisions about the matter.
Turkey, which expects a gesture about Cyprus issue, will request Bush that the U.S. administration should clarify the commitments it made after April 24th simultaneous referenda in the island to support Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Bush is expected to inform Ankara about his meetings in Ireland and reiterate the support of the United States to Turkey`s EU membership process.
Turkey will express its sensitivities about Iraq and especially Kirkuk and its view that Turkmens should be represented in an Iraqi government in proportion to their population.
(BRC) 26.06.2004