Relations With Turkey Better After Cooperation Against Terrorist Group, Senior U.S. Diplomat Says

WASHINGTON - A senior U.S. diplomat said Friday relations between Turkey and the United States had taken a turn for the better after the two countries started to cooperate actively against the terrorist organization PKK.
"Relations are better after Turkey and the U.S. launched in November 2007 an active cooperation against PKK terrorism. The new administration is going to build relations up on this actual agenda. Luckily, an era of tensions about Iraq have passed," said Dan Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs.
Speaking at a press briefing on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton`s prospective foreign visits in March to a number of countries including Turkey, Fried said Turkey was an important actor in its region.
"Turkey is an important player who has relations with all the sides in the Middle East and in the Southern Caucasus. Turkey is a great friend for the U.S. in issues such as Georgia, Azerbaijan-Armenia relations and the Upper Karabakh," Fried said.
(YMB-SOL)
(DIP)