Hillary Clinton headed back to Washington from the Turkish capital of Ankara, having widened the U.S. campaign to restore America's image overseas during her first trip to the Middle East and Europe as secretary of state.

Clinton's tour included an effort to improve relations with Russia, diplomatic overtures to adversaries Iran and Syria, as well as meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders, North Atlantic Treaty Organization ministers and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Barack Obama will visit Turkey within about a month, in what Clinton said yesterday was "demonstration of the very high value that the president and I place on the relationship with Turkey."

The Obama administration needs NATO ally Turkey to help stabilize Iraq and to mediate in Middle East conflicts involving nations with limited or broken diplomatic ties with the U.S., such as Syria and Iran.

Yesterday acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman and White House adviser Dan Shapiro had talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and Bouthaina Shaaban, a political adviser to President Bashar al-Assad in the first high-level contact between the two nations in four years.

The meeting was the first of its kind since the U.S. withdrew its ambassador to Syria after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

Engaging Adversaries

Clinton, during her trip, also extended a U.S. feeler to Iran in another sign of Obama's effort to engage adversaries. She said Iran may be invited to an international conference on the future of its neighbor, Afghanistan.

Iran is resisting international demands to suspend uranium enrichment that might be part of an effort to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies that it is trying to build atomic weapons and says it seeks only to generate electricity.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Clinton set a timetable to reach a new nuclear arms control treaty at a meeting in Geneva designed to improve relations which had reached a post-Cold War low under President George W. Bush. The 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires in December.

Clinton and Lavrov also said they pledged to work together in areas of shared interest such as curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We think that this is a fresh start, not only to improve our bilateral relationship but to lead the world in important areas," Clinton said. "I deeply believe that improved relations between our two countries will advance the common good."

Missile Shield

Relations chilled after the Bush administration promoted a missile shield in eastern Europe and Russia routed the U.S.- trained Georgian army in a five-day war last August. During Clinton's visit to Brussels earlier in the week, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreed to normalize relations with Russia after a seven-month freeze.

In Egypt, Clinton announced a $900 million aid package to the Palestinians at a conference to raise money for the Gaza Strip. She also pledged that the U.S. will pursue a peace agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors with "vigor and intensity."

In Jerusalem, Clinton mentioned the contentious issue of Israeli settlers continuing to build in the Palestinian territories in a broadcast interview. She said the U.S. would take up such issues after Israel forms a new government following elections last month. She also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who governs the West Bank, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Likud party leader asked to form the next Israeli government.

Rocket Attacks

During her visit, Clinton said she understood Israel's need to protect its southern towns and cities from Gaza-launched rocket attacks.

The Israeli army last week said that more than 130 rockets have hit the south since Israel and the militant Islamic group Hamas declared unilateral cease-fires on Jan. 18 following Gaza fighting. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel.

By Viola Gienger, Bloomberg, March 8, 2009