Adm. Michael Mullen arriving in TurkeySeptember 3, 2010 - 12:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is scheduled to arrive in Ankara Friday for talks with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Isik Kosaner, Today’s Zaman reported. As it comes only days after U.S. President Barack Obama announced the end of combat in Iraq, some news reports have suggested that the visit is aimed at requesting that Turkey allow the U.S. to use its territory for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Obama had previously ordered the end of combat missions by Aug. 31 in a step toward the full withdrawal of American forces by the end of next year that was mandated in a U.S.-Iraqi security agreement. In June, when Gen. David Petraeus, who previously commanded U.S. forces in Iraq and is now the top commander in Afghanistan, visited Turkey for talks with officials, then-U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey had denied that the visit was linked to the U.S. withdrawal. At the time, Jeffrey said there was no final plan on the overall U.S. withdrawal from Iraq; therefore, the issue was not on the agenda of Petraeus’ talks. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Viva: Armenia's leading technology company introduces a new trademark The updated brand Viva reflects a qualitatively new level of digital services. Turkey restoring 500-year-old Surp Sarkis Armenian Church During the program, Sahak Maşalyan, the Patriarch of Türkiye's Armenians, inspected the historic church and offered prayers. Cumulative deposit on flexible terms: Byblos Bank Armenia's new offer Once the deposit is fixed, it can be topped up at any time, and interest will be accrued quarterly. BSEC Secretary General due in Armenia on July 1 On July 1, the Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) Lazar Comanescu will pay a working visit to Armenia. |