IN WASHINGTON, ERDOGAN AND OBAMA STRESS FURTHER COOPERATION BETWEEN "MODEL PARTNERS"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on an official visit to Washington, yesterday met with US President Barack Obama at the White House. After an interdelegational meeting, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Erdogan and Obama had a face-to-face meeting. Many issues of common concern, including Iran's controversial nuclear program, Afghanistan, Iraq, rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, the Middle East peace process, Cyprus, Turkey's European Union accession process, and joint counter-terrorism efforts, were discussed during the meetings, as well as ways to boost bilateral trade ties and economic cooperation. Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Obama praised Turkey's contributions to Afghanistan, stressing that these efforts have helped promote stability in the country. On the Iranian nuclear controversy, Obama said Ankara can play a positive role in easing the international dispute with Iran. Obama also hailed what he called Erdogan's "courageous steps" towards normalization with Armenia and encouraged him to continue these efforts. He said they reiterated the two countries' commitment to fight terrorism wherever it might occur, expressing his condolences for seven Turkish soldiers who were killed yesterday in a terrorist PKK attack. Obama reiterated that the US sees the terrorist PKK as a threat to not only Turkey but also Iraq. He also praised Ankara's democratic initiative to solve the so-called Kurdish or southeastern Anatolia issue through expanding the democratic rights and freedoms of Turkey's ethnic Kurdish citizens. Saying he was sure Turkish-US ties would grow stronger in the years to come, Obama said he would do his best towards this end. "And given Turkey's history as a secular democratic state that respects the rule of law, but is also a majority Muslim nation, it plays a critical role I think in helping to shape mutual understanding and stability and peace not only in its neighborhood but around the world," Obama said. For his part, Erdogan cited how Obama paid his first overseas visit to Turkey earlier this year, and called the Turkish-US friendship a model partnership. "We have started to take important steps to boost relations under this model partnership," Erdogan said. "Of course this has economic dimensions. It also has dimensions in science, the arts, technology and the military. We have assigned some of our officials to pursue this process. Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan will pursue this process. I believe that this will carry bilateral relations to the future in a very different way." He added that Turkey will do all it can to achieve a diplomatic solution to the international dispute over Iran's nuclear program. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN: "TURKEY AND THE US HAVE BOTH ASSIGNED TOP OFFICIALS TO PURSUE STRONGER TIES"
Speaking to reporters following his meeting with US president Obama in Washington yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they had discussed issues related to the joint fight against terrorism, among other things. "We reaffirmed the understanding that the separatist terrorist organization is the common enemy of the US, Turkey and Iraq. We will continue cooperation in all issues," he said. "Another important issue concerns developments in Iraq. We focused on the nuclear program in Iran, and developments in Afghanistan. Turkey has offered to provide training to the Afghan army in a training facility to be built in Afghanistan." Asked whether Turkey had asked the US to rid Mt. Kandil in northern Iraq of PKK terrorists, Erdogan said Obama had offered further support and that the two countries would continue to actively share intelligence against the PKK, but added that they had not discuss any new measures. "I had the opportunity to discuss with Mr. Obama ways to further the model partnership between our countries, including economic, scientific, technological, military and political relations," said Erdogan. "The US assigned two high-ranking officials and Turkey assigned Deputy Prime Minister (for the Economy) Ali Babacan and State Minister for Foreign Trade and Economy Zafer Caglayan to boost relations. So we will be able to take more determined steps in the coming years. They will also discuss steps to boost bilateral trade." /Sabah/
CHIEF NEGOTIATOR BAGIS: "TURKEY WON'T BOW TO THE DEMANDS OF EVERY EU MEMBER STATE"
Turkey joining the European Union would benefit both sides, but Ankara won't do anything asked for by any member of the bloc just to get in, said State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU Talks Egemen Bagis. In a televised interview with the BBC yesterday, Bagis stated that Turkey has the world's 16th-largest economy. Asked whether Turkey will leave the EU process after it gains enough strength, Bagis said, "Turkey is not going to surrender to all demands of each and every member country of the EU just because we want to become a part of this club." He added, "The European Union needs Turkey just as much as Turkey needs the EU; this is a relationship based on a win-win situation. Either we all win or we have to look at the situation." /Aksam/
TURKISH EDUCATOR HONORED BY GEORGIAN PRESIDENT
Mesut Bozkir, a member of the International Black Sea University' (IBSU) board of trustees and chairman of Caglar Educational Institutions, was presented Georgia's prestigious Golden Post award over the weekend by President Mikhail Saakashvili in recognition of his great contributions to education there. Bozkir accepted the award, which few foreigners have been given, in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Tbilisi. Saakashvili told the ceremony of his conflicting emotions bestowing the honor. "Right now we're living through a great moment, but I also feel sad because Mesut Bozkir is returning to his homeland," he said. "I'm happy that Georgia has become a second homeland for a person like Bozkir. He established the International Black Sea University, and has started construction of a new campus for this university." Saakashvili added that he believes the university will become the best in the region. /Today's Zaman/
OTTOMAN MAPS SPOTLIGHTED BY UNESCO IN PARIS
An exhibit of Ottoman Era maps opened yesterday in Paris, at the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The exhibit, entitled "The Ottoman Worldview from Piri Reis to Katip Celebi," organized by the Istanbul-based Bahcesehir University Civilization Studies Center (MEDAM), marks the 400th birthday of Ottoman historian Katip Celebi. It includes detailed maps by both Celebi and Reis, who made some of the most important contributions to Ottoman cartography, together with works from other geographers of the same era. The exhibit will remain open through Friday. /Today's Zaman/