WORLD_ SYRIA_ Turkish FM Davutoglu in Washington to discuss Syria, Chinese missile deal

Turkish FM Davutoglu in Washington to discuss Syria, Chinese missile deal

Trend.az
18 November 2013, 06:03 (GMT+04:00)


Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu left for Washington on Sunday to start a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments with top American officials, Today's Zaman reported.

Davutoğlu is visiting the US on the invitation of his American counterpart, John Kerry.

The foreign minister is also expected to meet with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

Davutoğlu last visited Washington in May, when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had talks with US President Barack Obama.

One of the hot topics on the table is the Syrian civil war, which has raged on Turkey's doorstep for more than two-and-a-half years. Davutoğlu is also going to bring up the Geneva II conference and the future of Syria in an effort to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition in the war-torn country, according to media reports.

"During the visit, there will be meetings with officials from the White House, the State Department and the US Senate. Bilateral ties and regional developments, including Syria, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, will be the main agenda for Davutoğlu and Kerry," a Turkish official who wished to remain anonymous told Today's Zaman.

Davutoğlu will also bring up the issue of Syrian refugees living in Turkey and neighboring countries.

Turkey's much-debated choice to acquire a Chinese long-range missile-defense system is also expected to be discussed. Davutoğlu will tell Kerry that Turkey will consider a new bid from the competing American firm and evaluate how well it meets Turkey's needs, which are technology transfer, co-production, quick delivery and a reasonable price, according to some media reports.

"The issue of the Chinese missile [deal] might be discussed in these bilateral meetings, but it is certain that it won't be the most important topic. This is an issue that should be discussed between defense ministers. Davutoğlu isn't even part of the commission that is responsible for the missile deal," the Turkish official explained.

Three days before his Washington visit, Davutoğlu wrote an article for Foreign Policy magazine in which he said that the US and Turkey, which have long been close allies, will remain "partners going forward." The foreign minister dismissed suggestions that the two allies were growing apart.

"The United States and Turkey do not have the luxury of remaining aloof or apart from each other; our joint work has proven indispensable to regional security and stability. As a result, we have diversified our cooperation with the United States in areas ranging from counter-terrorism and non-proliferation to defense cooperation, energy security, know-how transfer, and more," Davutoğlu wrote.

Davutoğlu underscored that Turkey welcomes the recent engagement between Iran and the US. "The possibility of a diplomatic settlement of the dispute over Iran's nuclear program raises hopes for peace and stability in the region. Turkey has been among the few to actively pursue such a course and will continue to advocate this crucial initiative," he added.

Some media reports claimed that Davutoğlu will also discuss Turkey's role as a mediator in Iran's nuclear talks during his visit.

The official denied that Turkey has any desire to play the role of mediator in the dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program and said that Turkey will assist the talks only if one of the sides asks for its help. "There seem to be no problems with the nuclear talks between Iran and Western countries. However, if they [Iran or other Western countries] want Turkey to take part in the talks, Ankara is ready to support the talks in order to settle the problem. But it is certain that Turkey won't step forward by itself to be a mediator in the talks," the official said.

Read more: http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/2212172.html



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