Epress.am News from Armenia
Representatives of the US Congress have said in Washington, DC, that the partnership between Turkey and the United States is getting stronger as the Turkish democracy is a “shining model of strength” earned by basic freedoms and democracy at a time of Arab awakening, Today’s Zaman reports.
Speaking at the “2011 Annual Congress, New Challenges-New Opportunities” co-hosted by the Turkic American Alliance (TAA) and the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said on Wednesday that Turkey’s economy and regional leadership brought benefits not only to the Turkish people but also to the countries going through the Arab Spring and Turkey’s ally, the United States.
According to the senator, the “deep partnership” between Turkey and the United States gets stronger with every passing day.
In turn, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the bilateral relations of the two countries now go beyond a “regional security partnership” and have a “global strategic importance.”
Ros-Lehtinen also voiced her concerns about the dismal state of Turkish-Israeli relations and said that she considers the earthquake in the eastern Turkish province of Van and Israel’s offer to provide aid as opportunities to improve the two counties’ relations.
In addition, the member of congress mentioned the events of 1915 and said that it is not up to the US Congress to define the events, but that Turkey and Armenia can handle the issue