Obama trip to Turkey within weeks

[Berdan2000]

President Barack Obama will visit Turkey "in a month or so", US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said on a visit to Ankara.

She met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the first visit by a member of the new US administration to Turkey.

Turkey's foreign minister said Ankara was ready to re-launch indirect talks between Syria and Israel.

Mrs Clinton said the importance of building relations between Israel and Syria could not be overstated.

Turkey was mediating those talks until recently, but Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said any request to resume that role must come from both sides.

"President Obama will be visiting Turkey within the next month or so," said Mrs Clinton, at a joint news conference with Mr Babacan. "The exact date will be announced shortly."