WASHINGTON - Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, who is currently in the United States, said late on Wednesday that visit of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to the United States in the shortest time was being planned.
Holding a press conference in National Press Club (NPC), Ziyal said upon a question regarding Gul's visit to the United States that he could not give a certain date but it would be done as soon as possible.
When a participant asked if the visit could be made in one month, Ziyal said it might be if the program and agenda could be prepared in such a short time.
Upon a question on difficulties in Habur Border Gate, Ziyal said, ''in our opinion, Iraq is Iraq. This is the new reality. There is nothing as northern Iraq. The future of Iraqi Kurds is in Baghdad. We are saying the same thing to Turkmens as well.''
Showing Turkish people in Bulgaria to this understanding of Turkey as an example, Ziyal said that Bulgarian Turks did not cherish nationalism and they established a friendship bridge between Turkey and Bulgaria and he added that Turkey's policy was the same in everywhere.
Evaluating the difficulties at Habur Border gate as ''wrong'', Ziyal said, ''Iraq is now a single country. Customs procedures should be the same in every border of the country. It cannot be different in Turkey border or Kuwait border.''
Ziyal said that Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (IKDP) was taking 20 U.S. dollars as passing fee but it tried to increase this fee to 120 dollars.
Noting that upon the warnings of Turkey, this amount was decreased to 20 dollars again, Ziyal said, ''those are very wrong implementations. We also conveyed our view to the United States. If a customs will be taken, only one authority should make it. If an implementation with the understanding of a single Iraq cannot be carried on, this will not be just for the future of Iraq.''
Evaluating his contacts in the United States, Ziyal said that Iraq and Middle East peace process issues were discussed in the aspect of relations between two countries and he added that a new state was about to be formed in Iraq.
Upon the question about Turkish-American relations, Ziyal said that administration in Turkey had made an evaluation about Iraq issue and decided to support the United States on this issue but Parliament had taken an opposite decision.
Ziyal said, ''the United States understood that the situation in Turkey is the result of democratic process. There was a disappointment. But disappointment was mutual. Now, there is the rebuilding process of Iraq before us. We should make cooperation.''
Noting that they presented a package of proposal to the United States for the rebuilding process of Iraq, Ziyal said that cooperation would be searched in Baghdad by including the staff of Paul Bremer, the top American official in Iraq, besides Ankara and Washington.
When a reporter asked how the United States approached to that cooperation proposal, Ziyal said that Turkey's participation in restructuring of Iraq was natural.
Ziyal stated that Turkish companies had more advantageous features when compared with companies of other countries.
Emphasizing that there was not only one important issue in Turkish-U.S. relations, Ziyal drew the attention to the multi-dimensional structure of the relations.
Ziyal said, ''there is mutual confidence. We believe in the United States. And, the United States believes us. We believe in our mutual sincerity.''
Asked if Turkey was against use of Incirlik Base for political purposes, Ziyal said that Incirlik Base was important for Turkish-U.S. relations and served mutual solidarity.
Recalling that Incirlik was used to meet the needs during the Gulf War, Ziyal said that a new situation had occurred in Iraq. He stated that Operation Northern Watch and no-fly zone practice were ended taking into consideration that all the country was under the control of the U.S. forces.
Pointing out that Turkey consulted to the United States and Britain regarding that issue, Ziyal said that preservation of Incirlik Base was still important.
Ziyal noted that the decision of Council of Ministers for logistic use of the base was to be taken and stated that war planes were still in Incirlik within the terms of the agreement between the two countries.
''The United States has never told us that it would leave Incirlik Base. Such claims were published in the press. We had not asked the United States if claims were correct because we have known that Incirlik would continue to be used,'' Ziyal said.
Replying a question saying that the United States awarded some companies with the tender for renovation of the base, Ziyal said, ''this confirms that Incirlik Base will continue to be used.''
When he was recalled about the claims in the Washington Times that U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson's some claims which humiliated Turkey in negotiations before Iraq War were leaked out to the press, Ziyal said that he did not see that article but Pearson was Turkey's friend and continued his mandate successfully within the scope of respect and confidence.
Ziyal pointed out that Pearson served Turkey in a critical period and added, ''I don't think that the comment in the Washington Times reflects how we perceive Ambassador Pearson in Turkey.''
Replying to questions of two participants who were members of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) regarding the efforts of Ambassador Ecvet Tezcan to contact with Armenian groups in the United States, Ziyal pointed out that such efforts of Turkey were not new.
Ziyal recalled that there was dialogue between the foreign ministries of Turkey and Armenia and said that problems could only be solved by talking.
''We established contacts with diaspora in the past and we will do so in the future,'' Ziyal said.
''Turkey sincerely doesn't believe that there was an Armenian genocide,'' Ziyal said.
Ziyal noted that genocide was a very important issue which could not be underestimated and therefore, should be grounded on basic realities.
And, that was an issue which should be left to the historians, Ziyal stated.
Ziyal emphasized that Turkey wanted to normalize its relations with Armenia.
(GC-BRC-AÖ) 19.06.2003