ANKARA - Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok said on Monday that detention of Turkish soldiers in Iraq by U.S. soldiers ''created the biggest crisis of confidence'' between Turkish and U.S. armed forces and turned into a crisis.
General Ozkok, who received U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson, whose mandate in Turkey has expired, noted, ''I wished that it had not occurred that way.''
Ozkok recalled that a 100-member U.S. force surrounded special team bureau in Suleymaniyah, the north of Iraq, on July 4 with participation of local people of Kirkuk and that the force attempted to enter the bureau by force.
Personnel in the bureau were detained ''in an incomprehensive way'' after the U.S. force entered the bureau, Ozkok said.
Ozkok noted that Turkish military personnel were firstly taken to Kirkuk and then to Baghdad.
''Unfortunately, this incident created the biggest crisis of confidence between Turkish and U.S. armed forces and turned into a crisis. I wished that it had not occurred that way,'' Ozkok said.
Ozkok stated that he did not think that it was a U.S. or U.S. Armed Forces policy and noted, ''I would like to state that I have big difficulty in evaluating it as only a local incident.''
General Ozkok said that Turkey's national honor and Turkish Armed Forces' honor were also important, adding, ''I hope balance of our national honor will be ensured in the best way.''
OZKOK: DETENTION OF TURKISH SOLDIERS BY U.S. SOLDIERS IN IRAQ WILL BE TAKEN UP BY JOINT INVESTIGATION GROUP
Ozkok, who received U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson whose mandate in Turkey has expired, said that detention of Turkish soldiers in Iraq by U.S. soldiers ''created the biggest crisis of confidence'' between Turkish and U.S. armed forces and turned into a crisis.
''There is one more thing as important as relations between the two countries and that is our national pride and pride of Turkish Armed Forces,'' Ozkok stated.
Ozkok recalled that a 100-member U.S. force surrounded special team bureau in Sulaymaniyah, the north of Iraq, on July 4 with participation of local people of Kirkuk and that the force attempted to enter the bureau by force.
Turkish soldiers ''invited'' the U.S. soldiers ''inside'' as how soldiers of a friendly countries should be welcomed, Ozkok emphasized.
Ozkok said, ''after the U.S. soldiers entered the bureau, they detained our personnel working there, the reason of which we can't understand and can't accept. Equipment in the bureau were destroyed and some of them were seized. According to what we were later told, our personnel were sent to Kirkuk and then to Baghdad to be interrogated in order to investigate a tip-off.''
Not only the government but also the military authorities tried to conclude the incident quickly talking with U.S. officials from the outset, Ozkok stated.
Ozkok said, ''but unfortunately, we should state that this created the biggest crisis of confidence between Turkish and U.S. soldiers and turned into a crisis. A tip-off could be received and there could be a problem, but I wished that this incident should not be settled this way. Because, we have fought and have carried out missions with U.S. armed forces shoulder-to-shoulder in many different places since Korea. If there was such thing, we would expect them to tell the intelligence to us firstly and then we would expect both sides to follow the developments. But, the incident took place this way due to some reasons we can't understand.''
''I don't think this is a U.S. or U.S. armed forces policy. But, on the other hand, when the level of persons we have contacted and the period of the incident from the outset to the end are taken into consideration, I would like to state that I have big difficulty in evaluating it as only a local incident,'' Ozkok added.
Ozkok stated that those units were there for a long time and their places were notified in writing to the United States.
Operations there were performed in coordination, Ozkok noted.
Ozkok said, ''any big problem has been experienced neither with the Americans nor the Kurdish groups there since the day our units are deployed there.''
They did not know what the intelligence which was shown as reason for detention of Turkish soldiers was, Ozkok stated.
Ozkok said that the intelligence was just a tip-off and evaluation.
''Investigation of such intelligence this way is never acceptable,'' Ozkok pointed out.
Ozkok said that Turkish soldiers returned to the bureau at 7.00 a.m. on Monday morning and were on duty at the moment.
They continued to fulfil their responsibilities as in the past, Ozkok noted.
Ozkok added, ''of course, we attach great importance to Turkish-U.S. relations and relations between Turkish and U.S. armed forces. We believe that both have significant contributions to interests of the two countries. But, there is also one more thing as important as relations between the two countries and that is our national pride and pride of Turkish Armed Forces. The problem in balancing these two elements will be taken up by a joint investigation group starting as of tomorrow. I hope everything will be fine and the best balance of our national pride in these relations will be ensured. Of course, our U.S. interlocutors have the biggest responsibility in this issue.''

(BRC-AÖ) 07.07.2003