Napolitano holds talks with Şahin, and Atalay

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano held talks with Turkish officials on Oct. 11, on the first day of a two-day official visit to Turkey.

Napolitano held separate talks with Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay and Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin. She was accompanied by a delegation including U.S. Undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate Rand Beers and U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Alan Bersin, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone.

Collaboration on enhancing info sharing
The U.S. officials’ meetings with both Atalay and Şahin were closed to the press, and no statement was issued afterwards. Napolitano was in Bulgaria for a two-day visit before proceeding to Turkey.

In an Oct. 9 press statement announcing the visit, the Department of Homeland Security said the visit was part of the department’s “collaboration with international partners on enhancing information sharing and combating transnational crime.”

“More details on the trip will be released once they are finalized,” the statement said.

Napolitano will hold talks today with members of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK) in Istanbul, sources told Hürriyet Daily News.