CRETE - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) should not be treated unjustly regarding the second motion on dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad and deployment of foreign soldiers in Turkey.
Gul, who went to Crete island of Greece to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of European and Mediterranean countries, chatted with journalists aboard the plane.
When he was recalled about the comments that ''the second motion could have been passed from the parliament if the TSK had extended support,'' Gul said, ''soldiers have always given us accurate information about Iraq issue.''
Gul noted that the TSK and Turkish intelligence units had earlier expressed their views to the government that the war would not last long.
''TSK should not be treated unjustly regarding this issue. TSK behaved according to requirements of a democratic country,'' Gul said.
When he was asked questions about criticisms about the protocol order during a show on Friday and the news of ''uneasiness of the young soldiers'', Gul said that Turkey had taken important steps in every field and especially Turkey had started to be perceived positively in Europe.
Gul showed Sertab Erener's success in Eurovision Song Contest and director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's success in Cannes Film Festival as examples.
The agenda should not be occupied with such issues when there were very positive developments in the field of economy and many other fields, Gul pointed out.
Gul said that they should look at the future in every issue.
The meeting of the foreign ministers of European and Mediterranean countries will start at 4.30 p.m.
(BRC-ÖS) 26.05.2003