June 7, 2005 - 10:53 AMT
BUSH MAY BECOME MEDIATOR BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to thank US authorities for not admitting recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress, reported the Yerkir newspaper referring to Aksam Turkish edition. Today Erdogan will leave for US on an official call, hoping to restore the Turkish-American relations, cracked by the Iraqi war. He will also discuss the question of involvement of US President George W. Bush as a participant in establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey. In the course of the 45-minute meeting with the US President, in which Turkish FM Abdullah Gul, Defense Minister Vedci Gyonul will be present, the Armenian issue will be presented along with the Cyprus conflict settlement, stabilization of the situation in Iraq, struggle with the Kurdish Working Party and other issues. In the course of the visit Erdogan is scheduled to make a speech at the US Center for Foreign Policy Research, where he will be awarded by the ADL American-Jewish organization. Erdogan will hold a meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan over the Cyprus problem.