Turkey, US need to restore strategic partnership

Highest-level U.S. officials, such as Deputy Secretrary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, indicated there were question marks arising in the direction Turkey has taken in foreign policy after the "no" to the United States.

Edelman, expected to take over the post from Pearson in the beginning of August, said that the two countries had passed through a difficult path but there were still many things that they could do together.

Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Ugur Ziyal is scheduled to head to Washington this weekend for a visit. Ziyal is expected to meet Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, Anatolia news agency said.

While in Washington, Ziyal will also hold talks with representatives of Turkish and Jewish associations based in the United States.

The visit will be the first trip by a Turkish official to Washington after the Iraq crisis.

There have been rumors that the U.S. administration is unwilling to host a Turkish official with a ranking higher than that of Ziyal, such as Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Edelman said he had full confidence that Turkey and the United States could restore their strategic partnership which emerged in the 1990s on the basis of new strategic realities.

But he said this would require a lot of work.

Diplomatic observers in Washington and Ankara comment that Edelman’s appointment as the new ambassador to Turkey was a very positive development.

Edelman is known to be close to Vice President Dick Cheney. Observers say Edelman’s appointment was a positive sign showing the importance the U.S. side attaches to the mending of ties with Turkey.