Senior US State Department official to visit Turkey

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) – An official of the U.S. State Department is expected to travel to Turkey and Iraq next week to discuss bilateral defense trade and security cooperation, according to a statement released Tuesday.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Tina Kaidanow is expected to visit the two countries March 28-April 3, said the State Department.

In Ankara, "she will meet with representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries to share U.S. perspectives on bilateral and regional security issues as part of the U.S.-Turkey Defense Trade Dialogue and will hold a roundtable discussion with representatives from major U.S. and Turkish defense manufacturers", the department said in a written statement.

Kaidanow is also expected to visit Iraq and meet with government officials to discuss regional security issues and U.S. security assistance programs.