Turkish Press
April 16 2005
Onhon: Cooperation Of International Community In Fight Against
Terrorism Is Not Satisfactory
NEW YORK – Omer Onhon, the Turkish Consul General in New York, said
on Saturday that the cooperation of international community in fight
against terrorism had not reached a satisfactory level yet.
Speaking at a conference at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
of the City University of New York, Onhon said that terrorism was the
most serious threat of the 21st century.
”Our investigations revealed that all acts of terrorism and
terrorist organizations targeting Turkey were supported by foreign
countries. Leftist organizations of terrorism, Armenian terrorist
organization ASALA and the terrorist organization of PKK caused grave
pains in Turkey. Turkey became the target of terrorism supported by
foreign intelligence organizations because of its important strategic
position,” he said.
Noting that ASALA was supported by foreign intelligence units, Onhon
said that Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist PKK, had been
sheltered in a neighboring country for years.
”Although terrorist organizations succeeded in setting up a perfect
cooperation among themselves, cooperation of international community
in fight against terrorism had not reached a satisfactory level yet.
If we fail to develop our cooperation against terrorism, we will lose
our struggle,” he said.
Onhon kept on saying, ”during the Cold War, there was a polarization
between the Eastern Block and the Western Block. Now, a polarization
has emerged between the Islam World and the Western World. It is
totally wrongful. If there should be a polarization, it should be
between the whole world and terrorism. We should prevent all kinds of
double-standard in fight against terrorism.”
Upon a question, Onhon said, ”although the PKK is included in the
U.S. State Department’s list of terrorist organizations, it maintains
its acts in northern part of Iraq which has been under control of the
United States. This is a dilemma. Turkey is extremely uneasy about
it, and expects the United States to do something.”