speeches

Comments by Ambassador Eric S. Edelman After Meeting with the Prime Minister 

Ankara, Turkey, December 13, 2004

Ambassador Eric Edelman: Thank you all very much for waiting out here in the cold. I just had an opportunity to have a very constructive, thorough discussion with the Prime Minister about the Turkish candidacy for the EU and the prospect for getting a date for the beginning of accession negotiations at the end of this week at the EU summit. We had a thorough discussion of the situation in Iraq and agreed on the importance of holding the elections on January 30 and putting Iraq on a path of democracy and self-government. We talked about the importance of the U.S.-Turkish relationship to both countries, and I was able to express my gratitude for the statements issued by the Foreign Ministry last week and also the comments of Foreign Minister Gul reported in the press this morning that this is an important relationship for both countries. It is a view that we share, and one that was articulated on Friday by Undersecretary Marc Grossman when he spoke to the Assembly of Turkish American Associations in Washington. So we had a very good, constructive, frank discussion, and I’m very grateful for the Prime Minister’s time. I’ll be happy to take some questions if anybody would like to ask.

Question: There has been a dispute over the Ecumenical Patriarch – about his title. Later, the Ambassador told the media that he had been seeking an appointment with the Prime Minister for six weeks. Did you raise these issues during the meeting?

Ambassador Edelman: No, we did not discuss the issue of the Ecumenical Patriarch and its status, and I was very glad to have this opportunity to talk with the Prime Minister. I was appreciative of his time.

Question: Is it true that you waited for six weeks for this meeting?

Ambassador Edelman: The Prime Minister has a very busy schedule, and I am very grateful that he was able to find some time for me to talk with him.

Thank you.