Turkish democracy shining model at a time of Arab awakening, says U.S. Senator Gillibrand

WASHINGTON (A.A) - December 1, 2011 - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Wednesday that the Turkish democracy was a shining model of strength earned by basic freedoms and democracy at a time of Arab awakening. Speaking at the "2011 Annual Congress" co-hosted by the Turkic American Alliance and the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON), Senator Gillibrand said that Turkey's economy and regional leadership brought benefits not only to the Turkish people but also to the countries going through the 'Arab Spring' and Turkey's ally United States. Turkey's great leap forward took place with strong internal policies and by its membership in the G-20. Turkish-U.S. trade volume in the first eight months of 2011 increased 50 percent when compared to the same term last year, Gillibrand said. The deep partnership between Turkey and the U.S. gets stronger every passing day, Gillibrand also said