ANKARA (CIHAN) - The US President George W. Bush, who is in Turkish capital Ankara to hold talks with Turkish leaders, reiterated his support for Turkey's EU membership. The US President said that the EU should start accession talks with Turkey.
The US President Bush had a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan in Turkish Prime Ministry Head Office in Ankara on Sunday. The President Bush's meeting in Turkish Prime Ministry Head Office is accepted as a gesture of President Bush to Erdoðan out of diplomatic established practices and also President Bush firstly had his meeting with Prime Minister Erdoðan before his meeting with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer out of diplomatic established practices.
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell and the National Security Advisor of the US President, Condoleezza Rice accompanied President Bush in his meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Erdoðan, who is also accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdoðan expressed his contenment hosting President Bush in Ankara and added that President Bush paid a first visit to Turkey during his Prime Ministry. Erdoðan also stated his hope that President Bush's visit to Turkey would boost Turkey-America relations.
The US President Bush said during the short press conference that he was very happy to be in Turkey. "I had always wanted to be in Turkey."
Commenting on Turkey's European Union membership bid to start accession talks with EU in December 2004 and to be member of EU in the upcoming years, President Bush said that EU should start accession talks with EU and he conveyed his ideas to EU leaders.
Before his visit to Ankara and NATO Summit in Istanbul on June 28-29, the US President Bush attended EU-USA Summit in rotating term president Ireland's capital, Dublin, where the President Bush also called the US's support to Turkey's EU membership.
Bush said in Ankara that Turkey that is a Muslim country was a model country in terms of freedom and democracy. US President said that significant talks would be held in Ankara with Turkish officials.
Bush stated that NATO's strengthening, and also Iraq and regional problems would be discussed during the NATO Summit in Istanbul on June 28-29.
During Erdoðan-Bush meeting, first ladies Laura Bush and Emine Erdoðan met in Prime Ministry Head Office in Ankara.
After his meeting Prime Minister Erdoðan, the US President Bush visited the founder of Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataürk's Mausoleum in Ankara to pay his respects.