Meeting held over Turkey-US model partnership

Turkish ministers and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) met in Ankara on Monday for a Turkey-U.S. model partnership.

Turkey's State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, State Minister Zafer Caglayan, Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay gathered together with undersecretaries of various public organizations in a preparatory meeting for strategic economic and commercial cooperation with the United States.

Representatives of NGOs also participated in the meeting.

Turkey and the United States aim to boost economic relations, as well as relations in science, advanced technology, military and political areas within the scope of a new model strategic partnership, they decided to establish last year.

The United States has charged two high-level officials for the model partnership, whereas Babacan and Caglayan are representing Turkey.

Turkish and U.S. executives will meet in certain intervals, and later brief Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama.

The first meeting of the mechanism is expected to take place in Washington D.C. in the first half of this year, and the following is to be held in Turkey.

/World Bulletin/