Source:

September 20, 2010

Turkey’s role in defusing tensions over Iran’s controversial nuclear program is likely to top the agenda during President Abdullah Gül’s trip to New York for meetings at the U.N. General Assembly and bilateral talks.

“I think the cooperation with Turkey as well as Turkey’s efforts for a better understanding between Iran and the P5+1 [the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany] will be discussed at the meetings,” said Gül.

Gül said everybody had appreciated the role Turkey has undertaken regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

The Security Council does not currently have plans to discuss Iran, but Gül said Sunday he would nevertheless hold bilateral relations with the country’s president.

“I think many leaders will devote at least a few paragraphs to the Iran issue in their speeches because it is one of the most important problems in the world today,” the president said.

Gül said he did not expect criticism toward Turkey for its engagement on the Iranian issue.

Israeli raid ‘unforgettable’

The president also said he would not meet his Israeli counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York.

Gül said a scheduling problem will prevent him from meeting with Shimon Peres, but in a press conference the Turkish president addressed the topic of continued tension with Israel following the country’s deadly raid on a Turkish-led aid flotilla to Gaza in late May.

Asked whether an apology from Israel would be enough regarding the flotilla issue, Gül said, “We will not forget those who were killed in the Israeli raid on aid ships, even if Israel does apologize.”

Relations between the two countries hit a low point after Israel’s May raid on an international flotilla that was trying to bust the blockade of Gaza. Nine people, including eight Turks and a Turkish-American, were killed during the raid.

A four-member panel probing Israel’s raid on the six-ship flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza should be unbiased and should act in line with its principles and targets, Gül said.

Fight against terrorism

Touching on the issue of terrorism, Gül said: “Terrorism will be one of the most important parts of our talks at the U.N. General Assembly. International solidarity is essential in the fight against terrorism. If we fail to cooperate with each other in this fight, terrorism will continue to threaten the world.”

Gül also received the representatives of Turkish associations in the United States.

“The relations with the United States constitute one of the most important elements of Turkey’s foreign policy,” he said. “We attach great importance to our relations with the United States. The United States also attaches the same importance to its relations with Turkey. U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey after being sworn in as the president was the best sign of this importance.”