ANKARA, Jan 14 (A.A) - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Monday that the strategic partnership relation between Turkey and the U.S. has further gained importance in line with the international developments.
''It is our common target to further deepen the relations and cooperation between Turkey and the U.S.,'' said Ecevit and noted that not only political, but also commercial and economic relations have to improve.
Speaking at Esenboga Airport before leaving for the U.S., Prime Minister Ecevit said that he goes to the U.S. as the guest of U.S. President George Bush for a four-day study visit.
Noting that the multidimensional relations between Turkey and the U.S. would be taken up in details during his visit, Ecevit said that he would be accompanied by State Ministers Kemal Dervis, Tunca Toskay and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan, deputies, high ranking public administrators, representatives of private sector and journalists.
Ecevit said that he would hold contacts with U.S. President George W. Bush and the leading representatives of the U.S. administration, adding that he would also meet with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Acting Secretary of State, Secretary of Trade, Secretary of Treasury and one Trade official and come together with the World Bank President and IMF Executive Director.
Ecevit said that he would meet with American enterpreneurs in U.S. trade chamber, and with foreign press members in national press club, adding that he planned to take part in the activities organized by non-governmental organizations.
Noting that he would visit the wreckage of the twin towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York which was destroyed in a terrorist attacks on September 11, Prime Minister Ecevit said that he would also meet with representatives of Turkish society living in the United States.
He said, ''our strategical partnership with our friend and ally United States have gained more importance within framework of the recent developments in the international platform. We aim at further deepening our relations and cooperation with the United States. We believe that economic and commercial relations between Turkey and the United States should be accelerated. During our contacts with the U.S. officials, we will convay our expectations. I believe that our visit to the United States would make a valuable contribution to both our bilateral relations with the United States and to the international developments.''
When asked, ''it was claimed that you received a report saying that Barzani had declared himself as prime minister in a region called Kurdistan in northern Iraq. How will it affect your visit to the United States?'' Prime Minister Ecevit told reporters, ''we do have the opportunity of monitoring all development in Northern Iraq from the very beginning. We do not need such reports. We are taking necessary measures on issues we have concerned about.''
Meanwhile, plane carrying Prime Minister Ecevit and his entourage could not take off from the airport due to technical failure in left engine.