Towards a strategic partnership with USA

While Turkey is making a last ditch effort not to be sidelined from the process of the European expansion, it is also signalling its readiness for a strategic partnership with the USA in Euroasia.
Apart from lobbying for US support concerning Turkey's participation in EU, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem's visit in Washington is concentrating on a closer cooperation with the US in Central Asia and Caucasia.
In his meetings with the National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and Energy Secretary Federica Pena, Mr. Cem relayed the message that "Turkey intends not to be an observer but a player in the region. It was clearly emphasized in the meetings that one of the pipeliness from the Hazar Sea to the West should cross through Turkey. Concerning the issues other than energy, Mr. Cem said that Turkey was ready for a broad economic and political cooperation in the area.
Turkish Foreign Ministry under Mr. Cem believes that the US has changed its view favorably in terms of the Turkish participation within the affairs of the Middle East. Reportedly, this belief played an important role in the message Mr. Cem relayed to the Americans.
The Turkish diplomats think that in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US was willing to cooperate with Turkey in terms of doing business in the newly established Turkic republics. Afterwards, however, for various reasons, the Americans turned to the Russians for partnership. Although, the same diplomats are now saying that the US is returning to its original idea of cooperating with Turkey.
Within this framework, Mr. Cem has submitted a proposal to Washington for establishing an institutionalized mechanism for negotiations concerning the area both countries are interested for business ventures.