Erdogan receives US ambassador Jeffrey

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey at the Prime Ministry for a nearly one-hour meeting. They discussed regional and global issues such as developments in Iraq and Iran, energy security, and the Middle East peace process. Afterwards, Erdogan said that Turkey and US are strong democratic allies. For his part, Jeffrey agreed that the two countries have good relations, albeit with occasional problems. "Our countries has been working together to overcome challenges," he added. Touching on the Gaza issue, he said that there is hope for solving the problems there. Stressing the issue's importance, he said, "We have regular contacts with both Turkey and regional countries on the issue."