WASHINGTON
US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said that he is a fan of Ataturk and Turkish people at a press conference on Thursday.
Hagel reminded at the press conference at the Pentagon that he is a fan of the great leader Ataturk.
Hagel said that he mentioned Ataturk in his speeches which he made for many years in the US and added, "Ataturk is somebody who made a very important legacy in the world and we in the West do not appreciate him enough."
Hagel, touching on the Turkish-Israeli relations, said the relationship was important for the Middle East and the US.
