''Alliance and relationship with Turkey absolutely critical''

WASHINGTON

Victoria Nuland, the former State Department spokeswoman whom US President Barack Obama nominated to become the next assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, has stated, "Our alliance with Turkey, relations with Turkey is absolutely critical, not just in the Eurasian space but also in all of the work that we are doing now in Middle East, North Africa and particulary with regard to Syria."

Talking at Senate Foreign Affairs Committee during ratification of her nomination, Nuland said, "Today, we have a real chance to capitalize on changing attitudes and circumstances to address the 40-year-old division of Cyprus."        

 Upon question of Senator Jeanne Shaheen whether there was an opportunity to provide a progress about the issue of Cyprus, Nuland expressed, "I do believe we have an opportunity now. I think circumstances are changing; attitudes are changing, not just within Cyprus but also in Greece and in Turkey, and we have to capitalize on that."

Talking about the natural gas off the coast of Cyprus, Nulan also said, "We also have natural gas off the coast of Turkey, which is a -- off the coast of Cyprus, which is a powerful motivator for getting to the solution that we all want, which is a bizonal, bicommunal federation that can share the benefits. And it's absolutely vital to Europe that Cyprus begins to prosper again, and I think that working on this could be a positive in that direction as well." 

Mentioning about Turkey's democracy and the importance of its strength for itself, not only as a NATO ally, but also as a majority-Islamic population, Nuland said Turkey's democracy was looked at by other countries around the world and in the region who aspired to be able to be Islamic and democratic at the same time. 

She also added they would tell the Turkish government that freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, protection of journalists were fundamental democratic values that strengthened the country and in the context of the review that the government of Turkey was doing now of the constitution, they were urging that these protections be strengthened and not lightened.