Turkish President Abdullah Gül was the main speaker and guest of honor at the Third Annual Friendship Dinner held on Thursday at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel and hosted by the Turkish Cultural Center (TCC).He expressed the belief that both countries would exert their best efforts to further boost their ties. "Turkey and the US have a deep-rooted relationship based on common values and objectives. They have managed to diversify the fields of this multi-faceted relationship over the years," he stressed.
Gül then underlined the geographical significance of Turkey to the world, a crossroads between Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. He said Turkey sits as a natural bridge between various cultures and civilizations, adding that it works for peace and stability in its region in cooperation with the US.
"As two allies who have common strategic interests, our countries work in their regions and beyond for the protection and maintenance of peace, stability, prosperity and safety. Turkey and the US have common interests in a number of fields, including finding a solution for the conflict between Israel and the Arab world, the normalization of the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the restoration of stability in the Caucasus. Even though the positive aspects of relations between the two countries make up a long list, their ties are faced with a short list of challenges. However, despite these difficulties, the strategic partnership between Turkey and the US stands more powerful than ever," he remarked.
Text excerpted from Today's Zaman
