Chuck Hagel: both Obama and McCain strong advocates of relations with TurkeyOctober 29, 2008 - 15:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Both Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain would be strong advocates of the United States' relationship with Turkey if elected president, a leading Republican senator said Monday."Each (Obama and McCain) has a very special appreciation of relations with Turkey. Each would be a strong advocate of this relationship," said Chuck Hagel, a senator from Nebraska. Hagel was a speaking at an event at the Senate to mark his new book "America: Our Next Chapter." It was held by the American Friends of Turkey and the Turkish Coalition of America, two groups seeking to boost U.S.-Turkish ties. Serving in the Senate for 12 years, Hagel has been a prominent figure in the Republican Party. He has also been very close to Turkey. Two years ago his name was among potential Republican presidential candidates, but since then he has fallen out with President George W. Bush and the party leadership over major disputes on Iraq and other matters. As a result Hagel, known as a maverick, has been alienated by the Republicans, announcing earlier this year that he would not seek a new term in the Senate elections in November. Meanwhile, he has moved closer to Obama, sharing similar views on Iraq and other international matters. Obama has praised Hagel a lot, counting him among a number of Republicans he would like to work with in his administration, if elected president. Hagel's name has been already floated as a potential defense secretary in an Obama cabinet. Asked if he would vote for Obama, Hagel said he had stayed out of the race between the two candidates, who are both his colleagues in the Senate. "Both are very good friends of mine. Both are good and honest men and would be competent presidents. The good news is that the new president will be my friend," he said, the Turkish Daily News reports. 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 | Armenia named European U18 chess vice-champion The U18 chess team of Armenia won the title of vice-champion of the European Team Championship. MEPs issue statement to defend Armenia-France military cooperation The deputies emphasized that having an army armed with combat and modern military equipment is the sovereign right of any country. WFP, EDB, Yeremyan Farm to expand Milk in Schools project in Armenia The partnership aims to establish a cooperative framework to assess the feasibility of the initiative. Moody's upgrades IDBank's rating Moody's has upgraded ID Bank CJSC's (IDBank) long-term local and foreign currency bank deposit ratings to Ba3 from B1. |