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From: White House Press Office [mailto:noreply@messages.whitehouse.gov]
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 10:41 AM
To: Owens, Missy
Subject: Fw: VPOTUS pool report #5 - Istanbul


----- Original Message -----
From: Lee, Carol [mailto:Carol.Lee@wsj.com]
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 10:28 AM
To: Allen, Elizabeth M.; Barkoff, Kendra; Dudley, Amy
Subject: VPOTUS pool report #5 - Istanbul

Istanbul
Dec. 2, 2011

AF2 was wheels down at Istanbul around 3:45 pm. Amb. Ricciardone and his wife were first to exit. VPOTUS exited shortly after.

Greeters on the tarmac:
Deputy governor of Istanbul Fevzl Gunes
Deputy commander of Istanbul Metin Arikza
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rep Ambassador Doyen Akdof
Consul General and his wife, Scott and Jan Kilner

A senior administration official briefed pool on VPOTUS's meetings in Ankara today. A transcript is forthcoming. In the meantime, some highlights:

Mr. Biden met for nearly two hours with Turkish President Gul, twice as long as planned.

Some topics discussed: Iraq, PKK, Cyprus, Israel, Armenia and Iran, although sanctions did not come up.

Mr. Biden told Mr. Gul that he believes Iran's influence is declining across the region because of its nuclear ambitions, the assault on the British embassy in Tehran and the threat to Turkey over the NATO radar system.

On Syria: "The vice president said he understood the concern that some in the region have for the uncertainty of what might follow the Assad regime but also underscored his conviction, which the Turks share, that Assad and his regime are the source of instability in Syria now." The internationally-protected buffer zone issue did not come up.

The meeting with Cemil Cicek, the speaker of the Turkish Parliament:

Mr. Biden expressed U.S. support for Turkey's effort to reform its constitution. "The vice president noted that not only was this an historic opportunity for Turkey and for Turkey's citizens but it also offered the possibility of making Turkey an even stronger example for countries in transition in the region."

Carol Lee
The Wall Street Journal

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