Obama: "A close relationship with Turkey is an important US national interest"

A close relationship with Turkey is a key US national interest, according to US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Obama addresses the Turkish-US relationship on his campaign website, in a section entitled "Restoring the Strategic Partnership with Turkey." "Barack Obama and (vice presidential candidate) Joe Biden believe that a close relationship with a stable, democratic, Western-oriented Republic of Turkey is an important US national interest," says the website. "That relationship has been deeply strained in recent years, most importantly by the Bush administration's misguided and mismanaged intervention in Iraq, which has helped revive the terrorist threat posed to Turkey by the (separatist PKK). The result is that this strategically important NATO ally, the most advanced democracy in the Muslim world, is turning against the West – in recent polls only 12 percent of Turks had a favorable opinion of the United States. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will lead a diplomatic effort to bring together Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish leaders and negotiate a comprehensive agreement that deals with the PKK threat, guarantees Turkey's territorial integrity, and facilitates badly needed Turkish investment in and trade with the Kurds of northern Iraq. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will support the promotion of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression in Turkey and support its efforts to join the European Union." Obama is leading against his Republican rival John McCain in most recent polls.