Rice comments on U.S.-Turkish relations

Today Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addressed an audience at the American Turkish Council’s 27th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkish relations, expressing a desire for cooperation between the two governments. Rice assured her audience that the U.S. is developing a strategy to suppress the guerrilla organization PKK, or Kurdistan Worker’s Party. Rice also mentioned Turkey’s strategic location for oil transfer and the importance of investing in renewable energy, and said that the U.S. continues to support Turkey’s candidacy for membership in the European Union. Stressing the importance of an open democratic government and society, Rice said that the U.S. also supports amending Article 301 of the Turkish penal code that condemns criticism of the government.

When asked by an audience member about her perception of the recent NATO summit at Bucharest that she attended, Rice said that it was a great success with real conversation and progress and demonstrated that the Taliban in Afghanistan fears NATO. She also applauded the admission of new members despite controversy over enlargement of the treaty.