ANKARA - Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said on Monday that Turkey wanted to further improve relations with the United States which was its strategical partner and ally.
Making a statement after Council of Ministers meeting, Cicek said that they took up current developments in Iraq in the meeting and added that Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul made evaluations regarding the issue during the meeting.
Noting that every development in the region was concerning Turkey closely, Cicek said that Turkey was a close neighbor of Iraq; thus, it was following developments on every level. He added that Turkey wanted to further improve relations basing on mutual respect with the United States which was its strategical partner and ally and every effort Turkey was exerting and would exert was based on this intention.
Cicek said that Turkey was going through a dynamic and changing process and he added that they desired to increase the rights of Turkey to the highest level by evaluating this process well and by forming a dimension of regional peace and stability in accordance with mutual interests and benefits.
Cicek said that they would take decisions what Turkey's interests necessitated by evaluating the developing conditions on every level of state.
(GC-AÖ) 17.03.2003