Turkey Is Not The Strategic Partner Of The United States

June 12, 2005

From: NTV television, in Turkish

Commenting on Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to the United States, [opposition] CHP [People's Republican Party] deputy leader Onur Oymen has said: Turkey is not the strategic partner of the United States.

In a statement Oymen argued that Turkey gained nothing from the prime minister's visit to the United States. Turkey expects the elimination of the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] from northern Iraq, Oymen said, but there are no signs that the United States would take specific action regarding this issue.

Oymen also said that Turkey was not able to convey its message fully in connection with Syria.

Stressing that Turkey is not the United States' strategic partner, the CHP [deputy] leader stated that Britain, Israel and to a certain extent, Canada, were the United States' strategic partners. He added: Other than those countries, no other country in the world is the strategic partner of the United States. If you are strategic partners, you do not impose an arms embargo on each other. If you are strategic partners, you do not place sacks on the heads of your partner's soldiers. If you are strategic partners, then you support each other regarding national causes such as fighting terrorism or Cyprus.