Eruygur: Fundamentalist Organizations Have Been Intensifying Their Organized, Systematic And Widespread Activities

ANKARA - Gendarme Forces Commander General Sener Eruygur said on Monday, ''fundamentalist organizations have been intensifying their organized, systematic and widespread activities by ignoring the main values of the Republic of Turkey.''
A ceremony took place to mark the 164th anniversary of foundation of the Gendarme Forces.
General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, Gendarme Forces Commander General Sener Eruygur, National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Tuncer Kilinc, Land Forces Commander General Aytac Yalman, Naval Forces Commander Admiral Bulent Alpkaya, Air Forces Commander General Cumhur Asparuk, a number of high-ranking military officials and Gendarme Forces Command personnel were in attendance at the ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, General Eruygur said, ''as an indivisible part of the Turkish Armed Forces, the Gendarme Forces Command has been continuing to serve the nation with a great loyalty. Also, the Gendarme Forces Command has reached a distinguished position in the international platform.''
Giving information about activities of the command in the last one year, General Eruygur said, ''a total of 98 terrorists were rendered ineffective in Tokat, Giresun, Tunceli and Adana provinces in the last one year under our fight against terrorism. As a result of bilateral agreements, we have taken over 21 terrorists.''
''Fundamentalist organizations have been intensifying their organized, systematic and widespread activities by ignoring the main values of the Republic of Turkey. A total of 4 thousand 246 students have been given fundamentalist education in schools, private schools and dormitories in a province. 290 students have received fundamentalist education in this province in the last three months,'' he said.
General Eruygur noted, ''we confirm that we are determined to protect main values on which the Republic of Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. We expect our sensitive citizens to help us in our fight against fundamentalist activities. Our innocent people have been exploited by these fundamentalist organizations. It is our duty to fight against enemies of the democracy.''
Meanwhile, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to the ceremony.
In his message, President Sezer said, ''the Gendarme Forces Command, an important part of the Turkish Armed Forces, has been fulfilling its all missions with a great success for 164 years. We appreciated the Gendarme Forces Command's success in protecting indivisible unity of the Republic of Turkey and providing peace and security of our citizens. The Gendarme Forces Command has been increasing its power and capabilities by modernizing itself in line with recent technological developments.''
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok and interior ministers of Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Romania also sent congratulatory messages.
(UK) 16.06.2003