Wexler Travels to Turkey to Meet with Prime Minister Erdogan And Foreign Minister Gul

Keynote Speaker at German Marshall Fund Event on the State of U.S.-Turkish Relations.

(Washington, D.C.) - Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and Ranking Democrat on the Europe and Emerging Threats Subcommittee, will travel to Anakara, Turkey on an official CODEL from April 8 to 11, 2006. Wexler, who is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Turkey Caucus as well as the Co-Chair of the Congressional Study Group on Turkey, will meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Minister of State for the Economy Ali Babacan, Turkish military officials and members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Wexler will also meet with the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson. In addition, Wexler will be the keynote speaker at a German Marshall Fund event, addressing the current state of U.S.-Turkish relations.

The purpose of Wexler's trip will be to conduct high-level meetings with government and military officials regarding U.S.-Turkish relations; Turkey's EU accession efforts; the increase in Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) sponsored terrorism; Cyprus and efforts to lift the isolation of Northern Cypriots; Turkey's supportive role in Afghanistan; stabilizing Iraq; Iran's nuclear weapons program; Turkish-Syrian relations; and Turkey's role in the Middle East Peace process, including the recent meeting in Ankara with Khaled Meshal, a member of the terrorist organization Hamas, and Turkish-Israeli relations. Wexler is particularly concerned about the recent increase in PKK terrorism and the need for Washington and Ankara to work closely together to fight and dismantle terrorist organizations that threaten security and stability in the region.

"I want to extend my deepest sympathies to those Turkish families who have suffered greatly at that hands of PKK terrorists and join the Bush Administration in condemning these heinous attacks. Americans stand shoulder to shoulder with the Turkish people in their fight against PKK terror.

"I believe this visit to Ankara is critical to strengthening U.S.-Turkish relations and sustaining our historic partnership with our NATO ally, Turkey. I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan and Turkish officials to discuss pressing bilateral issues including America's continued support for Turkey's EU accession efforts, the recent plan put forward by Foreign Minister Gul to resolve the longstanding divide on Cyprus, Turkey's leading role in Afghanistan as well as the Turkish government's recent decision to meet with a leading member of the terrorist organization Hamas. Given the myriad of difficult challenges facing the U.S.-Turkish partnership, it is essential that there is no daylight between Washington and Ankara as it relates terrorism and other issues that threaten security and stability in the region," Wexler said.