Washington briefing: FM: Turkey wants new emphasis on U.S. ties, continued Armenia talks

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Friday June 05, 2009

Ahmet Davutoglu, foreign minister of Turkey and president of the United Nations Security Council for June 2009, chairs a Security Council meeting on genocide – specifically the prosecution of persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, June 4, 2009. UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe

Related Articles

A prolonged and indefinite process with Turkey awaits Armenia

Going in circles with Turkey

Turkish government ideologue appointed foreign minister

Senior Turkish official in Washington ahead of Obama’s visit

Washington - U.S.-Turkey relations should be forward-looking and "make contributions to humanity" rather than excessively focus, as they have, on military cooperation, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the American-Turkish Council (ATC) conference in a keynote address on June 2, Zaman reported.

The annual ATC conference is primarily funded by major U.S. weapons producers with a long history of selling their products to the Turkish military. It featured appearances by top military officers from both countries - Admiral Mike Mullen and General Ilker Basbug - who, Mr. Davutoglu noted, have known one another for 30 years.

Drawing a parallel between the United States and Roman Empire, Mr. Davutoglu urged the United States to take the more thoughtful, multilateral foreign-policy approach of Marcus Aurelius, rather than the unilateral approach of Julius Caesar.

Asked at a press conference the following day about Armenia-Turkey talks, Mr. Davutoglu sought to portray the process as continuing, albeit slowly. He also reiterated the linkage of Armenia-Turkey talks and the Karabakh dispute as "processes that positively support each other." He warned, however, that "moving frozen conflicts is a painful process which necessitates patience."

Mr. Davutoglu also acknowledged the link between Armenia-Turkey talks and Armenian-American efforts to pass a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

He argued that a "positive pace" in Armenia-Turkey talks will have to be maintained so that "the Armenian issue [is] no longer an issue blocking Turkish-American relations."

During a weeklong U.S. trip, the Turkish foreign minister also visited the United Nations headquarters in New York, as Turkey assumed the Security Council's rotating presidency.