Turkey-US

CIA director Petraeus visits Turkish leaders

   ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- The U.S. Embassy in Turkey's capital says CIA chief
David Petraeus has visited the country and met with top officials.
   An embassy statement said Petraeus, a former top general in Iraq and
Afghanistan, had "productive meetings" on Monday and Tuesday with Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hakan Fidan, director of the Turkish
National Intelligence Organization.
   The statement said Petraeus and Turkish leaders discussed "regional security
issues and counter-terrorism cooperation." It described the relationship between
the countries' intelligence services as "excellent."
   Turkey is a critical ally for the U.S. Both countries are especially concerned
about Syria, a Turkish neighbor, where thousands have died in the past year in
a government crackdown.
   AP-WF-03-13-12 1633GMT