ANKARA (A.A) - 29.03.2002 - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on Friday that Livingston firm carries out the lobby activities of Turkey effectively and productively in the U.S.
Giving information about the question with notice of Felicity Party (SP) deputy Ahmet Sunnetcioglu, Cem gave information about the lobbying activities in the U.S.
Cem said that a one year contract was signed with ''The Livingston Group'' worth of 1,8 million U.S. dollars by the Prime Ministry Promotion Centre on March 1, 2000 and that the period of the contract was extended for another one year.
Cem said that Turkey cooperated with the lobbying firm of ''Patton and Boggs'' between the period of Sept. 15 1997 and Dec. 15 1998, adding that Turkey didn't make cooperation with any firm between the years of December 1998 and March 2000.
Noting that Turkey also cooperated with the company ''Saltzman and Evinch'' which worked as a legal consultant to the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. and which supported the studies of the Livingston Firm, Cem said ''The firm and particularly 'Gunay Evinch' had earlier acted as a legal consultant and helped in winning the cases in favour of Turkey.'' Cem noted that ''the efforts of the head of the Turkish state and government, the Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., embassy personnel, press and media organs, non-governmental organisations, the public opinion, Jewish citizens living in Turkey, Turkish citizens living in the U.S. and Jewish institutions and the lobby company in the U.S. which is in continuous contact with the U.S. House of Representatives have yielded result in preventing the initiatives related to the bill on the so-called genocide on Armenians. The lobby firm had also played an active role in preparation of the letter sent to the U.S. President Clinton by 38 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.''
Cem said that the Turkish Ambassador in the U.S. and the Foreign Ministry closely watched the studies of Livingston firm.