US Ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson delivered a letter from US President George W. Bush to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on Wednesday, in which Bush reiterated US support for the economic reform program in Turkey in the letter and called on the Turkish leaders to "demonstrate by your actions over the coming days and weeks that the support of the United States and international community was a wise investment."
According to Turkish Daily News, Bush wrote the letter in response to Ecevit's letter to G-7 countries' leaders to ask for their support to end the economic crisis. He also referred to the recent hostage-taking crisis in Swissotel in Istanbul and asked Ecevit to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Turkey is striving to overcome a severe economic crisis brought about by a political dispute between Ecevit and President Ahmet Sezer. As a consequence of the row over corruption, the Turkish lira value slid at more than 40 percent.
The country has come up with a reform plan applauded by the EU and the US, but the Turks have seemed unsatisfied as they burst into violent riots in a number of major cities – Albawaba.com
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