Suat KINIKLIOGLU, AK Party Deputy Chairman of External Affairs and Spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, attended Can Dundar’s “Why?” program on NTV on the 4th November. The US presidential election and its implications for Turkey-US relations were the subject of the program and KINIKLIOGLU highlighted the possible effects of the election’s result on Turkey-US relations.

“It hardly seems possible that the Obama team will bring up the genocide resolution to U.S. Congress in its first 6 months in office. However what worries us is that Obama was raised in the intellectual Chicago and his foreign policy team includes some experts on genocide. Of course, if Barack Obama is elected president, Armenian lobby’s pressure will increase. Nevertheless, I don’t think that the Obama team will commit such a fatal mistake which will endanger the Turkey-US relations and the strategic partnership.” KINIKLIOGLU said.

KINIKLIOGLU added that “Obama and Biden’s election manifesto relating PKK emphasizes the solution of the problem by negotiating Turk and Iraqi  leaders. In this respect it indicates much clearer statement than Armenian issue.”

KINIKLIOGLU underlined that “We mustn’t forget that we have the psychological superiority regarding Armenian issue. The key issue we must address must be Yerevan, not Armenian Diaspora. Obama and Turkey share the same approach towards Syria and Iran. In addition, the balance of power has changed since Bush administration. Turkey is increasingly becoming a point of reference and actor for negotiations in its region. Today there is a Turkey in world politics whose regional power and leadership were confirmed in the Caucasus and Middle East. Also, I don’t think that we will have any problems with Obama team regarding PKK issue.”