ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that he discussed issues of Cyprus, Aegean, NATO, and EU with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok.
Responding to questions of journalists, Gul said that there were important developments in foreign policy and that he paid certain visits in this framework.
''Is there any reaction due to the transfer of the Sixth Adjustment Package to the parliament before it is discussed in the National Security Council?'' asked journalists to Gul who said ''don't think in this way. There is civilian government in Turkey. We tell EU that we are ready. We won't do anything to harm that. I have meetings from time to time with both the President and also with Chief of General Staff. We share certain issues and sometimes it is necessary to give information.''
''Does Chief of General Staff think that studies on EU should be scrutinized for a little more?'' asked journalists to Gul. ''No, Chief of General Staff in fact submitted his views to us in written form,'' Gul said. Gul said that he wanted to meet with Chief of General Staff Gen. Ozkok himself.
Upon a question about the claims telling that Turkish war planes harassed an Olympic Airlines passenger plane which was en route from Athens to Istanbul, Gul said ''I didn't hear. If you look at NATO records, Turkey informs NATO and Greece about all of its flights.'' Gul said there was no significant increase in number of flights when compared to last year.
Gul said that they would do their best to improve the confidence between Turkey and Greece, adding ''because Turkish-Greek friendship in this region is to the interest of the region and the two peoples.''
Meanwhile Gul said that the government would transfer the sixth adjustment package to the parliament on Tuesday.
(Öª) 09.06.2003