Senior US military officer to visit Turkey
03/09/2010
ANKARA, Turkey -- US Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is due to arrive in Turkey on Friday (September 3rd) to meet with the country's new Chief of the General Staff, General Isik Kosaner. He succeeds General Ilker Basbug, who retired on August 30th. US Embassy in Ankara spokeswoman Deborah Guido tells the newspaper Hurriyet that talks will focus on regional issues. The visit comes days after US President Barack Obama announced the end of US combat operations in Iraq. Some media have reported that the United States wants to use Turkey's territory for the pullout of its troops and military equipment from Iraq. (Hurriyet, Zaman, Anadolu news agency - 02/09/10)