Erdogan: Turkey Is In A Serious Move In Foreign Policy

ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early on Friday that Turkey was in a serious move in the foreign policy.
Erdogan, who attended a program entitled ''Arena'' broadcast on private Kanal D channel, said that there was also a positive approach from the people of Greece and added, ''I see a step to hamper positive developments.''
Responding to claims that ''Turkish military planes harassed a civilian Greek plane'' and statements of the Greek authorities made afterwards, Erdogan said, ''Greece sometimes tries to take some advantages regarding flights of our civilian planes and regarding the flights of Greek civilian planes in this direction. Unfortunately, their planes are armed against our planes which are especially flying without any armament. When we consider which one is harassment, we can see that our planes are disarmed, but their planes are flying in a fully-equipped way.''
Erdogan added, ''I consider this as a step to hamper positive developments. Because, Turkey is in a serious move in foreign policy and there is also a positive approach from the people of Greece. But, of course, everybody don't think the same. They want to turn positive developments into negative.''
The same thing was also seen in Cyprus issue, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan noted that opening of Maras and lifting visas for the Greek Cypriots were moves which had never been expected and said that ''an uneasiness started to occur as those initiatives were made.''
''Also, I think that another thing can affect developments. As you know, elections have approached in Greece. Therefore, some statements may be made to take pulse of the people. But, I hope that it is not so. Because, as the government, we want to further improve our relations with Greece,'' Erdogan added.
TURKEY WILL CONTINUE ITS NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS IN A WAY TO PRESERVE BALANCES IN MIDDLE EAST
When anchorman Ugur Dundar said that ''U.S. officials sent a message to Turkey through delegation of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) saying that 'Washington was expecting a policy from Ankara in harmony with priorities of the United States','' and asked how he evaluated it, Erdogan said that ''different news came from very different channels regarding that issue.''
Erdogan said that Turkey could not carry out an active politics in its relations with its neighbors in not only Middle East, but in the world so far and that they wanted to make active politics.
Stating that it would not be a politics which would back terrorism in the world, Erdogan said that they aimed an active politics based on peace.
Erdogan noted that Turkey would continue its neighborly relations in a way ''that it would preserve balances in the Middle East and would never back terrorism.''
''Turkey will never take place in any intrigue or trap which can lead to terrorism or problems which we experienced a while ago,'' Erdogan said.
NSC MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO GOVERNMENT
Dundar recalled the statement of the ''European Union (EU) Commission Turkey Representative that Turkish Armed Forces played a very effective role in political formations in Turkey'' and asked about his views, Erdogan said that he was asked similar questions during his trips to the EU countries which were paid under the title of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader.
Erdogan said that ''Turkish army made the opening of a modernization process in Turkey.''
''This process continued in the same way until a very different political life. Naturally, army found the power to fill the natural vacuums that occurred in politics after a very different political life started. Maybe politics made this mistake or maybe that day's conjunctural developments caused that,'' Erdogan said.
Stating that ''the National Security Council (NSC) was shown as an organ giving permission or a legislative organ'', Erdogan said, ''the legislative organ in Turkey is obvious, it is the parliament. NSC makes recommendations to the government. There is a command level. We discuss every issue as the children of this country. But, it is turned into such an atmosphere that people think that it is even an enemy camp. There is not such thing. Chief of General Staff and commanders are also the children of this country.''
''Sometimes an atmosphere occurs as if unexpected developments would come out of the NSC meeting. You see that all economic parameters and everything is focused on the meeting. Because, there is an economic structure based on uncertainties. It is shaped up according to expectations. We have come to this point with these wrong mentalities. We have to end this,'' Erdogan added.
STATE WILL ENSURE SUPERVISION OF BROADCASTING IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS WITH SERIOUS CONTROL MECHANISM
When he was recalled about criticisms about the arrangement in the sixth EU adjustment package which would abolish the Article Eight of the Anti-Terrorism Law, Erdogan said that ''he favored expression of thoughts as long as they were not turned into action.''
Erdogan noted that regulations of EU member countries were examined when that arrangement was being made.
Asked if the package would pass from the parliament, Erdogan said that the Republican People's Party's (CHP) approach was positive and that there would not be any problem in adoption of the package.
When asked if ''healthy monitoring could be made'' regarding the broadcasting of state and public radio and television channels in different languages and dialects used traditionally in daily life by Turkish citizens, Erdogan said that the state would ensure supervision with a serious control mechanism.
Erdogan noted that broadcasting was made from outside in favor of the terrorist organization and said, ''we should not be reluctant about this issue this much. It is meaningless to try to hide ourselves as we have made this arrangement.''
Replying to a question about claims saying that ''certain persons were appointed to certain positions'', Erdogan said that the appointment was inclusion of people outside the system in the system and added, ''what we are doing is to make a change among people in the system. This is not appointment of certain people to certain positions. It can only be rotation.''
(BRC-AÖ) 13.06.2003