ENDING OMAN VISIT, PRESIDENT GUL RETURNS TO TURKEY
President Abdullah Gul yesterday attended a luncheon given in his honor by Muhammed Al Zubair, Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said's top economic advisor. Gul, along with his wife Hayrunnisa and Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, visited the Sultan Qaboos Mosque and spoke with officials there. Afterwards, the Guls flew back to Turkey. /Hurriyet/
ERDOGAN: "PROGRESS OF NORMALIZATION WITH ARMENIA DEPENDS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH"
Ensuring regional peace is among the cornerstones of Armenia and Turkey's efforts for normalized relations, so resolving a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan is naturally linked to this process, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this week. After meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the sidelines of a two-day nuclear security in Washington, Erdogan also had talks with US President Barack Obama, with the stalled normalization process between Turkey and Armenia as one of the main topics. During these meetings, Erdogan reiterated Turkey's commitment to the historic rapprochement protocols the two countries signed last fall, and asked the US to do more to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He also urged the avoidance of actions and statements which could derail the already delicate process. Speaking to reporters late Tuesday at the Washington Marriott Hotel for the opening of an exhibit of Ottoman-era maps, Erdogan dismissed Sargsyan's rejection of linking the Turkish-Armenian normalization process to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Quoting from the protocols, Erdogan said, "There is a very important expression next to the phrase 'without preconditions': Building regional peace. Can you push Azerbaijan aside while building this regional peace?" Telling how Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, Erdogan said an agreement on the enclave is essential for opening the border, and repeated his call for greater efforts by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group. Erdogan also said no date had been set for parliamentary ratification of the protocols, but added if Turkey sees some positive signs from Armenia, this would speed up the process. Erdogan also said that he still believes Obama won't use the word "genocide" in his April 24 message marking Armenian Remembrance Day. "Personally, I don't expect such a thing," he said. "I believe the necessary messages have been mutually made," he added, referring to his meeting with Obama. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had separate talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian on the sidelines of the summit. Davutoglu told both Clinton and Nalbandian that Turkey remains committed to the normalization process, and is working to make further progress. Stressing that the Armenian issue should not be allowed to cast a shadow over Turkish-US relations every year, Davutoglu also urged the inclusion of Azerbaijan in the process. On Iran's controversial nuclear program, Davutoglu told Clinton that Turkey doesn't believe tougher sanctions on Iran would help solve the issue. /Today's Zaman-Turkiye/
OBAMA PRAISES ERDOGAN'S EFFORTS FOR NORMALIZED RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
During their meeting on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington earlier this week, President Barack Obama expressed his appreciation and support for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia, according to official accounts. "The president relayed his continuing support and appreciation for Prime Minister Erdogan's efforts on normalization of relations with Armenia, and encouraged him to continue forward toward ratification of the protocols for the benefit of future generations," said a White House statement yesterday. Saying that during the meeting both leaders reaffirmed the Turkish-US strategic partnership, it added, "They discussed their joint interest in achieving the nonproliferation goals of the (Nuclear Security) Summit and in ensuring that Iran does not pose a nuclear threat to the world." /Aksam/
TURKEY, BRAZIL SEEK DIPLOMATIC WAY OUT OF IRANIAN NUKE DISPUTE
Skeptical of US-led proposals to impose tougher sanctions on Iran, Turkey and Brazil, currently both holders of non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council, are seeking a diplomatic way out of the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, and have stepped up efforts to bring together Tehran and major western powers in a uranium swap deal. This was the top issue of a meeting between Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Brazilian counterpart Celso Amorim on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington early this week. Afterwards, in a trilateral meeting with US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Lula da Silva told the US leader of their position on the issue. Davutoglu is traveling to Brazil later this week for more talks on the Iranian nuclear issue and various models for a possible uranium swap. Under an earlier UN-supported deal, Iran would be provided with nuclear fuel by western powers for a nuclear reactor in Tehran in return for its 3.5 percent enriched uranium. At the time, Turkey proposed a simultaneous exchange of uranium and fuel, but this didn't get the nod from the US and other Western countries. Speaking to reporters, Erdogan said that the Turkey and Brazil are in agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. "Perhaps there are other countries," he added. "They may join this process. So our all efforts are aimed at finalizing these processes through democratic means and resolving this process through diplomacy. We believe that means other than diplomacy are troublesome. Considering that we are all determined countries with democratic parliamentary systems, we should aim to resolve this issue within this system." Davutoglu's meeting with Lula will come only weeks before the latter's visit to Tehran set for next month. /Aksam/
PACE PRESIDENT CAVUSOGLU VISITS AZERBAIJAN
Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) President Mevlut Cavusoglu yesterday visited Baku and held talks with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Aliyev congratulated Cavusoglu, a Turkish parliamentarian, for being elected PACE's head in January. For his part, Mammadyarov said that the Upper Karabakh dispute can only be solved while protecting Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Cavusoglu said that a subcommission would soon be established at PACE to help find a solution to the dispute. /Hurriyet Daily News/
SABANCI RECEIVES AUSTRIA'S HIGHEST ORDER OF MERIT
In Vienna yesterday Sabanci Holding Chairwoman Guler Sabanci was awarded Austria's highest order of merit, the Silbernes Ehrenkreuz der Republic Osterreich, by Reinhold Mitterlehner, Austria's economy, family and youth minister. The award was in recognition of her contributions to improving Turkish-Austrian relations. At the ceremony, Sabanci pointed to Turkey's remarkable economic performance, saying that it is now closer to fulfilling the Maastricht criteria than many European Union member states. Describing Turkey as a rising market with a competitive economy, Sabanci said its geopolitical position, as well as stable and democratic state structure, make it a key country for Europe's energy demands and security. /Milliyet/