OCTOBER 7 LETTER TO SECRETARY RICE FROM TURKISH

UNCLAS ANKARA 006246 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL TU SUBJECT: OCTOBER 7 LETTER TO SECRETARY RICE FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER GUL ¶1. Embassy Ankara received a diplomatic note dated October 7 from the MFA requesting that we forward to the Secretary the text of a letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Abdullah Gul. According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. will forward the original. ¶2. The text of the letter is as follows: MESSAGE FROM H.E. MR. ABDULLAH GL, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY TO H.E. MS. CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Dear Secretary of State, I would like to thank you for your letter dated 3rd October ¶2005. I fully share your views on the significance of the EU opening accession negotiations with Turkey. Undoubtedly, this development constitutes a historic threshold for European and transatlantic communities. I also wish to express our appreciation for the unwavering support that the US Government in general and yourself in particular lent to Turkey,s aspirations throughout the arduous process. Your written reaffirmation regarding the US position vis a vis NATO membership came at a crucial moment. Furthermore, I am particularly pleased to see that views of our two countries concerning the settlement of the Cyprus issue through the efforts of the UN Secretary General on the basis of the long established UN parameters remain unchanged. As our time-tested relations have amply demonstrated, Turkey with its well known transatlantic and European orientation, will continue to be a staunch partner for both, and will resolutely pursue the widely shared goals of promoting peace, prosperity and democracy, regionally as well as globally. Our relations are endowed with all the important dimensions of strategic cooperation. Turkey and the US share a common vision on a wide variety of issues and, thus, they are well-poised to positively contribute to each others, policies. I would like to reiterate that the Turkish-American strategic cooperation will continue in a stronger pace in the period ahead. Sincerely, /s/ Abdullah Gl, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs End text. MCELDOWNEY