U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Monday discussed the conflict between Georgia and Russia on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. “Turkey is a terrific ally, including in this most recent crisis,” Rice said before meeting with Babacan at a New York City hotel. “We've been in touch several times … with this situation because Turkey is a very important power force in the Caucasus and is trying to bring about a more peaceful Caucasus.” Turkey, which controls the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, approved the passage of U.S. warships through the Black Sea last month that brought humanitarian supplies to Georgia following its brief war with Russia.
