Former Ambassador Wilson: The US has no choice but to work with Turkey
Turkey's foreign policy orientation was the topic of a hearing at the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, with Turkish and US analysts also in attendance. In an effort to soothe concerns raised by some lawmakers about Turkey's foreign policy direction, former US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson testified that Turkey's longstanding Western aspirations remain in place. Wilson's statements came after numerous congressmen criticized a so-called "shift" in Washington's longtime NATO ally Turkey. Assuring the lawmakers that there have always been ups and downs in Turkish-US relations, Wilson said that the US has no choice but to work with Turkey. "Remember that Turks still continue to choose the US for vacations and educating their children," he said. "Where we see problems, we should talk about them. Primarily we should talk about them in private."