Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the Chairman of Turkish-American Businessmen Association (TABA AmCham) told, “If Turkey had played its role in the Middle East well, it would be able to require the US to settle the problems regarding Armenia, Cyprus, Aegean continental shelf and EU membership.” Erdem, in a meeting jointly held by TABA AmCham İzmir Branch and Aegean Industrialists and Businessmen Association, reminded the words of Colin Powel, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the US : “There is only one ally for us in the Middle East since the gensis of the war, Turkey” and added : “Turkey has always been befriended by the United States. We were about to lose our 50 year long friendship due to our errant policy. The government committed a significant strategical mistake by rejecting the second draft. None of us wanted the war. However, we should have supported the US which has been our profound ally for fifty years.”