TURKISH PREMIER’S US ADDRESS ON FOREIGN POLICY, KURDISH REBELS, MIDEAST
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Sept 28 2007
["ERDOGAN SAYS ARMENIAN RESOLUTION IN US CONGRESS IS HURTING TURKISH
NATION" – AA headline]
NEW YORK (A.A) -28.09.2007 -"A resolution concerning Armenian
allegations on the incidents of 1915, which will be discussed at
the US Congressional floor during the upcoming legislative term, and
possibility of the US Congress’s passing an illegal and a unilateral
political judgment are seriously hurting Turkey and the Turkish
nation," Prime Minister said Thursday.
Speaking at a gathering in the New York-based think tank Council of
Foreign Relations, Erdogan stated that the Congressional approval of
such a resolution would inflict a serious wound in Turkish-American
relations.
"This is a sincere observation and this is what my frankness requires
me to say," Erdogan told the gathering.
"It would be an extrajudicial killing to pass such resolutions in
parliaments through the efforts of diaspora or lobbies. Turkey cannot
accept such a thing," Erdogan said.
Erdogan also recalled a proposal by Turkey to set up a committee
of historians and other experts to search into the archives both in
Turkey and Armenia, but said that Armenian side failed to respond to
that proposal.
-MEETING WITH SARKOZY-
Prime Minister Erdogan said he would meet French President Nicolas
Sarkozy in Paris to discuss Turkey’s European Union membership bid.
"During contacts between the representatives of the two countries,
we have not seen an outspoken rejection of Turkey’s EU membership in
what Sarkozy told us. On the contrary, he said that he would support
such a process," Erdogan said.
-US WEAPONARY AT PKK TERRORISTS’ HANDS-
"US-made weapons, and even the heavy weaponry found in the camps of
the terrorist organization PKK in the north of Iraq, and weapons
found on terrorist captured by Turkish security forces, have made
very adverse impact on the Turkish people and the general negative
outlook on the US in Turkey," Erdogan stated.
"I know that a great deal of anti-American feeling now prevails in
our country and the primary reason for that is Iraq to large extent.
Yet the most important reason is that the terrorist organization is
using the north of Iraq as a base for its terrorist attacks staged
in Turkey," Erdogan said.
"We have yet to see on this issue the attitude that we expected from
the US and we conveyed that to all officials we met here in the US
including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice," Erdogan added.
-MODERATE ISLAM-
During his speech, Erdogan also rejected allegations that Turkey
would become a country like Malaysia and refused a concept of
"moderate Islam."
"There cannot be a moderate Islam. It is only and simply Islam,
and you cannot add it tags like moderate or immoderate," Erdogan said.
"Once they used to say Turkey would become a second Iran and they
proved wrong. And now they say that Turkey will become a country like
Malaysia," Erdogan added.
"We have no concerns about secularism in our country but unfortunately
there are many scaremongers in Turkey. No one should feel disturbed
about a politician’s wife who wears a headscarf as a rule of her
faith. But these discussions still occupy the agenda in our country,"
Erdogan noted.
-IRAN-
"Turkey feels uneasy about problems stemming from Iran’s nuclear
programme. Turkey supports that all countries can have nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes. On the other hand, Turkey is opposed
to proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
Turkey has always paid careful attention to acting together with
the international community in the process regarding Iran’s nuclear
programme. In our bilateral talks, we gave the necessary messages to
our Iranian counterparts. We hope that a diplomatic solution would be
found. We are ready to make all kinds of contributions to this end,"
he said.
-EU AND TRNC-
"Accession into the EU is one of the indispensable targets of Turkey.
We know that the EU process is quite difficult and long, but we will
not give up. Turkey has fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria
and begun implementing them," he said.
Referring to the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "now,
some political leaders have begun saying that it was a mistake to
accept accession of the Greek Cypriot administration to the EU. But
they, earlier, voted in favour of it. Why did they change their mind?
Because they realized that they made an impetuous political decision.
The EU-member countries pledged to fulfil their responsibilities if
peoples in Cyprus voted in favour of the UN Secretary General’s peace
plan in the referendum. Although Turkish Cypriot people supported the
plan, the EU did not keep its promises. On the contrary, the EU still
expects Turkey to take unilateral steps. As a guarantor country,
Turkey will not make such a move. First, the EU should fulfil its
promises," he said.
"Turkey is a regional and international actor which improves itself
continuously, relies on its future, and increases its international
influence. Our stable political structure, our growing economy, our
constructive and balanced foreign policies, our modern and powerful
military capabilities, our solidarity with the international community
which is based on multi-lateralism and law, and our determination to
create a zone of tranquillity and prosperity both in our region and in
the world contribute to Turkey’s role as a regional and international
actor," he said.
-USA-
"Turkey attaches great importance to its strategic partnership with the
United States. This partnership is one of the milestones of our foreign
policy. Our ingrained and multi-dimensional relations with the United
States are based on our common values and joint interests," he said.
Erdogan noted, "from time to time, the roles we play mutually in
line with similar targets, can vary. Our approaches can include some
differences stemming from our own realities. However, our ongoing
cooperation and solidarity reveal that our relations have a brilliant
future."
-IRAQ-
Prime Minister Erdogan said, "we hope that Iraq will regain its
esteemed position in its region and in the international community
by preserving its national unity and territorial integrity."
Recalling that the international conference on Iraq will take place
in Istanbul in October, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "Turkey will
continue using existing communication channels with all sections,
groups and actors forming the political structure in Iraq in an effort
to contribute to national compromise in this country."
-MIDDLE EAST-
"Turkey is in favour of a lasting and fair peace in the Middle East.
We have always supported all initiatives aiming to find a solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and continue to do so in the future.
We are ready to make all kinds of contributions to the Middle East
peace process," he stressed.
-SYRIA-
Referring to the relations with Syria, Prime Minister Erdogan said,
"we think that Syria should take its place in the international
community, and that it should be made a part of solutions instead of
problems. We are expending efforts to this end. Turkey is an important
actor in functioning diplomacy through open doors."