US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Ankara on Saturday declared Turkey a "friend for all times" and thanked her hosts for Turkey's military contribution to NATO's mission in Afghanistan, for economic investment in Iraq and for Ankara's role in the now stalled Israel-Syria peace process, according to dpa. Speaking after wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan that covered a number issues, including the Middle East, Afghanistan, NATO and the fight against terrorism, Clinton announced that President Barack Obama would visit Turkey next month. "I will tell President Obama that he will find a warm welcome," Clinton said at a joint press conference with Babacan. Clinton in particular praised Turkey for its role in mediating peace talks between Israel and Syria, saying that the talks were a part of the overall Mideast peace process. "The importance of this tract of the peace process cannot be overstated," Clinton said. Turkey has played host to four rounds of indirect peace talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv but plans for a fifth round were put on hold when Israel launched military operations in the Gaza Strip at the end of 2008. Turkish public opinion was overwhelmingly against the war and surveys showed a dramatic fall in the general public's view of the United States. Clinton earlier on Saturday visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic and was scheduled to meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Saturday afternoon before leaving.
