Turkey: No negotiations with US on troop issue

Dirioz told a weekly press briefing that the ball was in the court of the United States now and they were waiting.

Asked if Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul would meet with Hoshyar Zebari, a member of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council, in the meeting of the neighbor countries of Iraq which would start in Damascus on Saturday, Dirioz said that it was not immediately clear whether Zebari would attend the meeting, but that they were not ignoring the Iraqi Interim Governing Council.

Dirioz stated that they were in contacts with members of the Council and there was dialogue between two sides.

"We are not ignoring them and we are talking to them," Dirioz said.

Recalling that former president of Council Ahmad Chalabi came to Ankara and was welcomed at the high-level, Dirioz said that Gul met with members of the Council, including Zebari, during the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly.

Dirioz pointed out that they had invited the current president of Council Ayad Allawi to Ankara but that visit could not be paid due to the schedule of two sides.

"Therefore, we don’t have any reservation or problem regarding this issue," Dirioz said.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that it was Syria, the host country, who would decide about whether or not Zebari would attend the meeting of neighbor countries in Damascus.