ANKARA - U.S. Department of the Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor and Department of State Undersecretary Marc Grossman met on Saturday with officials of the Foreign Ministry and discussed Turkey's contributions to a possible operation on Iraq and effects of such an operation on Turkish economy.
Following the meeting, Taylor told reporters that they aimed to prevent negative effects of a possible operation against Iraq on Turkish economy.
Grossman said that they were pleased with cooperation of Turkey so far.
Taylor said that they took up situation of Turkish economy, economic reforms and U.S. assistance package to Turkey during their meeting.
They observed development in Turkish economy, Taylor noted.
Taylor stated that the inflation rate was gradually reducing and that they aimed that the assistance package to be extended to Turkey would be flexible and practical.
They thought that this assistance should build confidence in markets, Taylor said.
Grossman said that they came to Ankara as a part of intensified serious consultations for the last two years.
Those consultations helped them set their common vision for urgent implementation of United Nations (U.N.) resolutions no 1441 by Saddam Hussein regime, Grossman noted.
Grossman noted that these consultations would continue.
Asked about his comment on decision of the National Security Council (NSC), Grossman said that he could not comment on that decision.
Grossman noted that their Turkish interlocutors conveyed the tendency of NSC decisions and they conveyed Turkish officials their current position.
They were pleased with not only those consultations but also their cooperation with Turkey, Grossman said.
Asked about content of assistance to be provided to Turkey, Taylor said that they were trying to make this assistance efficent and transparent and that they did not talk about any amount during their contacts.
Taylor said that they hoped such an assistance to be useful for Turkey.
Noting that the assistance was a part of their preparations, Taylor said that however, their target was to prevent a clash.