Gorbachev In Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Mihail S. Gorbachev, the last head of state of the USSR, met Union of Turkish Chambers & Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu over breakfast.
Gorbachev is currently in Istanbul to attend the 31st World Congress of the International Road Transport Union (IRU).
He told Hisarciklioglu during the breakfast Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, was a very important leader, and that he had a photograph of Ataturk on his study table.
Referring to recent developments in the world, Gorbachev said that the United States should withdraw from Iraq. He said that Turkey could become a partner not only with the EU, but also with Russia.
Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. Gorbachev is currently the leader of the Union of Social-Democrats, a political party founded after the official dissolution of the Social Democratic Party of Russia on October 20, 2007.
(UK-AÖ)