Ambassador's remarks and public events

US Ambassador Ross Wilson Responds to Press Questions Esenboga Airport

Ankara, February 21, 2006

Ambassador: The visit of the USS Theodore Roosevelt to Turkey was an important event for us. It’s the first big U.S. Navy ship visit to Turkey in several years. And it reflects what both our countries are trying to do to improve relations, to restore good dialogue and rebuild some friendships and ties that have been a little bit strained.

Of course I am very sorry we could not get out to it but I still think that the fact the ship came was important and a plus for us. I look forward to more and I expect that there will be more.

Question: When was it arranged?

Ambassador: I think the fact that they were coming here was finalized at the end of December, early January. I think it was planned well before that. They plan months and months in advance.

Question: Was it planned during General Buyukanit’s visit [to the US]?

Ambassador: It had been planned before that and then finalized after that. The ship visit was planned well before General Buyukanit went to Washington.

Question: This shows the importance of your mission to develop Turkish-American relations (inaudible).

Ambassador: It reflects our interest in improving U.S. – Turkish relations and improving ties between our peoples and our militaries.

Question: How do you consider the Hamas visit after some days have passed and they have visited Tehran and said strong things there? Was Turkey’s movement a wrong one, a good one - or how do you describe it? Did Turkey move quicker than expected?

Ambassador: As I said on Friday, what was most important to us and what is most important to us is that any meetings, any contacts with Hamas make clear that Hamas must abandon terrorism, recognize the right of Israel to exist, and honor the commitments the Palestinian Authority has already entered into on behalf of the people of the Palestinian territories. And that’s a fundamental change for Hamas. It’s a fundamental change that is essential and is an essential prerequisite if the United States and the other members of the Quartet are going to be prepared to deal with Hamas in any significant way. That’s the first point. The second point is from the descriptions that I have received from the Turkish Government, it did deliver some very clear, very strong messages, reflecting the Quartet’s views about what Hamas has got to do.

Question: (inaudible) You basically said you welcome any meeting with Hamas as long as Hamas (inaudible).

Ambassador: I didn’t say that. What I said was that it is our strong view that any meetings with Hamas must convey those messages.

Question: Did you express any disturbance to the Turkish Foreign Ministry or Turkish authorities regarding this visit – or what did you say?

Ambassador: We discussed our views with the Turkish Government before Hamas came, before the visit was announced, and we have discussed it since then. I frankly don’t want to characterize further what the nature of our diplomatic exchanges has been with the Government on this.

Question: Were you informed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry before the trip?

Ambassador: Yes, as I said on Friday, we were informed by the Turkish Government on Wednesday of the fact of this visit.

Question: And what was your reaction then? Did you say you shouldn’t do that – it’s against the Quartet? Or did you say you should deliver the message?

Ambassador: First, I don’t want to describe the nature of our diplomatic contacts with the Turkish Government on this. We said before the fact, as we were saying after the fact, and to other governments, any meetings with Hamas must deliver the key messages.

Question: And it was delivered, as you said.

Ambassador: According to the descriptions of the meetings the Turkish authorities have given to us, the key messages were delivered and were heard.

Question: Mr. Ambassador, Israel is actually more upset than the United States if you look at the media. How do you evaluate or consider the reaction of Israel over these developments?

Ambassador: I’m the American Ambassador to Turkey -- I’m not in a position to characterize the United States’ views with respect to comments or actions taken by the Israeli government.

Question: Do you think this contact of the Turkish Government with Hamas did produce any positive results or could produce any positive results?  Do you think it had any effect on the nature of policies of Hamas?

Ambassador: Time will tell.

Question: Some US politicians, some Congressmen expressed some concerns, but we have observed that these concerns are not openly shared by you, as you say. Is this a sign of a discrepancy between the political wing and the diplomatic wing of the government?  How do you describe it? Or are we exaggerating those reactions?

Ambassador: My understanding is that a number of influential Americans have expressed concerns about the fact that Hamas was received here and the implications of that. I would let their comments speak for themselves. The reaction of the U.S. Government is the reaction and is the position that I have already described to you. You can also look at what the State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Friday. I believe that should be on the State Department Web site now. It is essentially the same thing I said.

Question:  There are several people in recent days who are trying to link this Hamas trip to the upcoming efforts of Armenians to pass this so-called Armenian genocide bill in the U.S. Congress and some people are claiming that just because of this Hamas trip some Jewish-American lobbies will not this time help Turkey to stop this Armenian genocide bill at the Congress. Do you think that there might be some negative results over this Hamas trip in the United States?

Ambassador: The only thing I can say is to make a factual observation that among the influential Americans that have expressed concern about this visit -- the fact that Hamas was received here -- are a number of leading figures in the American Jewish community. What that may mean with respect to other issues, I’m not sure I can say.

Thank you very much.