Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the United States on Tuesday, Anadolu news agency reported.
Erdogan will participate in the 64th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, and G-20 summit in Pittsburg.
In New York, Erdogan held his first meeting with representatives of Jewish organizations in the United States, including the Anti-Defamation League. According to sources, the meeting was fruitful and Jewish community asked questions to Erdogan regarding several topics.
Erdogan said the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, had a significant contribution to improvement of relations with Armenia, and the group should work more to further improve relations.
The Jewish organizations expressed concern over proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and
remarks of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad denying the Holocaust.
Erdogan said Turkey was against any type of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons in its region and the world.
Also, Erdogan quoted Iran as saying that it was carrying out its nuclear program within the scope of peaceful goals, and said Turkey was always telling Iran that it was against nuclear weapons. Erdogan also said that he had not any definite plan to visit Israel soon, but Turkish and Israeli foreign ministers could meet during the general assembly.
The Turkish prime minister said that Turkey would do its best to maintain the direct negotiations between Israel and Syria which were interrupted due to Israeli offensive on Gaza.
The Jewish representatives said the Jewish community in Istanbul had welcomed the "first lesson circulation" regarding love, affection and tolerance against linguistic, religious and racist discrimination.
Also, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in New York together with Erdogan, and had his first meeting with Foreign Minister Carl Bildt of Sweden, the current president of the European Union (EU), and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos of Spain, the
upcoming president of the union.
Other Turkish executives who are actually in New York are State Minister Ali Babacan, State Minister and EU chief negotiator Egemen Bagis, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek and some lawmakers.
Erdogan will participate in a meeting on climate change, chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, later on Tuesday.
...