Turkish PM flailingly Attacks US Policies in
Southern Kurdistan and Iraq
Excerpt of Erdogan's speech published by Zaman
today.
Jan 5, 2007
"What disturb us most are the terror network's
activities is the U.S. appointed a special envoy but there is no concrete step.
We could cooperate with the U.S. and Iraq in combating the terror network but
this did not take place. They say they will stifle the terrorist organization's
financial resources. They say there are troubles in other areas and they cannot
focus on northern Iraq. Are these delay tactics? We expect serious steps."
When asked what he meant by serious steps,
Erdogan said: "There are camps in the region and the terrorist network is
holding activities there. U.S. officials say they closed several offices but we
saw they did not. Terrorists enter Turkey and they have U.S.-origin weapons and
bombs. We found these with the terrorists that were arrested. I openly said this
to U.S. officials. I talked to US President George Bush on the phone after I
came back from Riga. We said 'Let us cooperate against terrorist networks
disturbing us if we are strategic partners.' They think we are right. If we are
right, we should act accordingly."
Concerning the developments in Iraq, Erdogan said the coalition forces have
trouble in solving the problem and said neighboring countries may undertake a
more active role for the solution.
"Iran and Syria can cooperate with us in this
process. Iran says it can do it. We have a consensus with Syria as well. The
United States can also contribute in this, what matters here is their decision,"
Erdogan said.
Stating Turkey had an important role in the region, the prime minister said,
"Countries in the region are having sectarian and ethnic problems. Turkey has no
problem with any of these. We meet all of them whether Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish or
Arab; we feel no hostility to any of them."
Stating his visit to Lebanon was part of a
Middle East tour, Erdogan said Turkey played a key role in Syria's withdrawal of
its 30,000 troops in Lebanon: "We requested Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to
withdraw their troops from Lebanon. He said they would try to do so and do it
because we requested it. Turkish President Sezer paid a visit to Syria and they
withdrew their troops a week later."
He also pointed out the form and timing of the
execution of Iraq's ousted leader Saddam Hussein was wrong.
"We are a country that abolished the death penalty, we cannot approve of it.
Performing the execution on an Islamic holiday, broadcasting it and things that
were said are all provocation. The region has delicate balances, there are
sectarian clashes. 650,000 people were killed. Those who died are Muslims, but
the coalition forces' death toll does not even reach 5,000. Over 1.2 million
people were killed in Iran-Iraq War. Why do we fall in the same trap? There are
claims that the execution would be performed 15 days later but it was predated.
This shows there is an authority gap," Erdogan said.
