Gul: Many Things Should Be Done To Normalize Life In Iraq

''WORKING FOR BRIGHT FUTURE OF MIDDLE EAST IS BOTH TO OUR INTEREST AND ALSO OUR RESPONSIBILITY''

ISTANBUL - Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that exerting efforts for the future of the Middle East was both to the interest of Turkey and also it was the responsibility of Turkey as a big regional state.
''This responsibility is not limited to short term economic and political interests. This is a mission which has humanitarian, historical and spiritual dimensions,' Gul said.
Stressing that one of the conditions of lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East was solution of the Palestine-Israel conflict, Gul said that Turkey actively supported the process of ending violence and terrorism in the region. ''We are ready to host any negotiation between the two sides if necessary,'' Gul said.
Gul participated in a conference on Middle East and Turkey held by Economic Studies Foundation (IAV) and noted that the Middle East region and its people didn't deserve the violence and unhappiness which continued for a long time.
Noting that the Middle East was the cradle of civilization with its past, Gul said that the contributions of the Middle East region constituted a basis in development of world civilization.
Gul pointed out that regional people lived in peace and stability during the Ottoman period, adding that violence and underdevelopment was not the destiny of this region.
Gul pointed out that there was a new situation in the Middle East today, adding that ''the results taken from the recent Iraqi crisis should be interpreted in a way that would contribute to the development of the region. The Iraqi example showed that countries' having rich resources was not enough. The importance of the use of the resources in a rational and effective way came out. The need to take into consideration the interests of citizens, society, environment and neighbours and the global situation has been accepted. In fact the region needed a change for a long time. It has been understood that development both had economic requirements and also political and social conditions. Many regional countries started gradually to take steps to this end. We appreciate these steps and wish success to them.''
Gul stated that another element of the new period in the Middle East was international society's starting to be interested in the economic and social development of the region again. Gul pointed out that Turkey, which was a good neighbour of Iraq, would continue to ensure all sorts of contributions to that country.
Stressing that one of the conditions of lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East was the solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Gul said that Turkey actively supported the process of ending violence and terrorism in the region.
''In this framework we will continue to contribute to the solution of the problem by benefiting from our good relations with both sides, our role in the region and our historical experience in the region. We are ready to host any negotiation between the two sides if necessary. Our approach has been welcomed by both sides. The planned visits of Israeli President and Palestinian Prime Minister to Turkey in the coming days will constitute the opportunity of making concrete our contributions. It is possible for Turkey to ensure multidimensional contributions to this new process. Exerting efforts for the future of the Middle East was both to the interest of Turkey and also it is the responsibility of Turkey as a big regional state. This responsibility is not limited with short term economic and political interests. This is a mission which has humanitarian, historical and spiritual dimensions,'' Gul said.
Gul pointed out that Turkey would host many important international meetings next year, adding that one of them was the Islamic Countries' Foreign Ministers meeting and another one was an important meeting related to NATO.
GUL: ''PROJECT OF PEACE WATER IS ABOUT TO REVIVE''
Gul said that the project of Peace Water which was ignored for long years was about to revive, adding that regional countries particularly Saudi Arabia started to show great interest in the project.
Gul stated that important cooperation projects like Peace Water project of Turgut Ozal were developed, adding ''we are resolved to further increase our role and contributions in the new period. The Peace Water Project has been ignored and forgotten for long years. But the project is about to revive now... Regional countries are interested in it. We believe that serious developments could take place about it in the coming period.''
''Turkey is the only country which is both a candidate of EU and a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Turkey's membership in NATO, its partnership with the U.S., its cooperation with the Balkan and Caucasus countries, its ties with the Islamic world, are complementary factors for Turkey. Besides Turkey is the only regional country which played a key role by taking part in regional and sub-regional processes in the historical transformation of Europe,'' Gul said.
Noting that Turkey's being part of various cooperation processes in various regions constituted the third dimension of the contributions that Turkey could ensure for the Middle East, Gul said that Turkey could be the centre of interaction and connection among Europe, Black Sea, Caucasus, Middle East and Mediterranean due to its being the only country that connected these regions.
''Just like Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline's connecting the markets of Caucasus and EU markets, Turkey will probably ease the common forums and projects in political, cultural and other fields in those regions,'' said Gul showing EU-OIC Foreign Ministers' meeting as an example of that.
''Working to make the Middle East transform from a risky area into a prosperous region is an important dimension of Turkish foreign policy. An investment to be made in the future of the Middle East will also be made for the future of our country. My focus on the Middle East issue does not change the importance of our relations with the EU and the U.S.; on the contrary, it brings a dimension to it. Interaction among various dimensions of multidimensional foreign policies will be to our advantage. This interaction will also contribute to regional and world peace and prosperity. Turkey's Middle East vision lies within the Middle East,'' Gul said.
MANY THINGS SHOULD BE DONE TO NORMALIZE LIFE IN IRAQ
Gul said that there were many things which the United States and Turkey would do to normalize life in Iraq, stating that, ''we may expend support to the United States, which was successful in war, to be successful in this issue.''
Responding to the question of a participant about period of motion in Turkish-U.S. relations, Gul said, ''we should be realistic. This is necessary for the relations to be more healthy. An open and transparent process progressed in Turkey. Decision was taken in the parliament. It was pleasing that there was no much damage and the war lasted short. Now that everybody should look at future. U.S. looks at the future, but we mostly look at the past.''
Stating that Turkey and the United States have many things to normalize situation in Iraq, Gul said nobody should act with their feelings. He recommended people to focus to the future.
Gul said, ''we have sent three diplomats, who earlier worked there, to Iraq and they returned with their reports. Many things should be done to normalize life in Iraq. If they say they had been in better condition in the past, this means things do not go well. We may expend support to the United States, which had been successful in war, to be successful in this issue. Electricity is given only for three hours. It is summer, and Baghdad is one of the hottest places of the region. Air conditioners do not work. We may help them in this respect. Telephones don't work, and there is not water. There is not oil in oil country Iraq. We have extra gasoline. We can take fuel oil which is extra in Iraq and we may send them gasoline. Turkey does its best in this respect and will continue to do so. Yet that this understanding should be reciprocally.''
When statements of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Gul said he read the full text, and that media particularly stressed some specific parts of the text. Gul said, ''his statements about future were much. There is no meaning in accusing ourselves. I think it will not be beneficial to look at the past in every meeting.''
Abdullah Gul said upon a question that the government didn't regard U.S. and EU as an alternative of each other, adding that ''Turkey reached a critical and serious stage in EU process. We don't see it against the U.S., the latter also extends support to us in this process. We believe that if Turkey becomes a member of the EU as a Muslim country, it will contribute to intercivilizational harmony. Both EU and Turkey will benefit from that. Besides Muslim countries are pleased with the progress of Turkey about EU process.''
Gul said that ''EU saw that it would be much more stronger with a country like Turkey. In that respect, we hear many statements of EU officials which we didn't hear before. The last 4-5 months regarding EU process constituted a different process.''
Responding to a question about the tension with Greece, Gul said that ''the news stories and the reality are different. Greece sincerely wants Turkey to join the EU. It works positively to this end. This does not mean that there are not problems between Turkey and Greece. There are problems coming from the past, we favour solution of these problems by talking face to face. We know that it is not possible to solve these problems by opening fire reciprocally to each other in newspapers. This is no use to anybody. A country which trusts itself like Turkey, acts like that, and we act like that.''
When asked if there was a parallelism between Cyprus problem and the Middle East, Gul said that both problems were two important and chronic problems which needed to be solved.
''We announced that the government does not regard insolubility as a solution. There is such a perception in the world as if Turkey regards insolubility as a solution and as if Turkey wants continuation of the status-quo in Cyprus. Our government clearly told that this problem has to be solved. But solution does not mean saying 'yes' to everything without taking into consideration one's concerns. We must reciprocally search for ways of bringing mutual satisfaction. We search for that. The steps taken in Cyprus recently are important steps. The whole world appreciated them. Our expectation and hope is that these should be benefited well. The economic embargo, particularly that of EU on the Turkish Cypriot side has to be lifted. When it is done, I am sure that Turkey will take positive steps in return. This will improve the mutual trust, and things will be easier when negotiations resume after reaching a certain stage,'' Gul said.
(AY-Öª-AÖ) 16.06.2003