Ambassador's remarks and public events

Ambassador Ross Wilson During a Meeting with Ankara Mayor  Melih Gökçek

Ankara, February 9, 2006

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.  It is a pleasure and honor to meet with you today, and it is a pleasure and honor to be a citizen of Ankara.  I have had a very good welcome here.  I look forward to a productive term as Ambassador of the United States.  I look forward to working with you on the issues of common interest that we have. 

QUESTION: General James Jones has acknowledged warning US soldiers to stay away from cinemas where “Valley of the Wolves” is showing.  What do you think about this issue?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I don’t know exactly what General Jones said.  I would prefer not to comment on what he said, because I don’t know what it is.  I believe that our military personnel in Incirlik, outside of Adana, were advised last weekend to be careful in public places, and especially around movie theaters.  I think that has been reported in the press.

QUESTION:  What do you think about transportation in Ankara compared with transportation in the US?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  In the US or in Washington?

QUESTION:  In Washington. 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The traffic is a lot easier and better in Ankara than in Washington.  There are some problems here in rush hour, to be sure.  But my understanding is that the government has done a pretty good job of trying to ease those problems. 

QUESTION:  Turkey has been making efforts to arrange an international meeting to resolve the cartoon issue.  Do you think that there is a suitable environment for that?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  You are quite correct.  I think the Turkish Government has taken a number of very useful steps to encourage reason, to encourage tolerance and mutual understanding, and strongly to discourage violence as a way to express views and objections to these cartoons that appeared in European newspapers.  We highly appreciate and value the statement that Prime Minister Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero put out early in the week in Western papers and then published here in Turkey.  It is very important that leaders around the world act together to restore calm and steer the world away from violence.  The position that the Government has taken has been a very statesmanlike one, and we appreciate it.