ANKARA - Deputy Chief of General Staff Yasar Buyukanit said on Monday that positive response to the draft joint statement of Turkey-U.S. Joint Commission came from the United States and added that the statement would be made from the Office of General Staff on Tuesday morning.
Replying to questions of reporters during the reception held on the National Day of France, Buyukanit said that the Commission completed works at the end of meetings that continued during the day.
Buyukanit noted that a compromise had been reached on a joint text not on demands of everybody.
Stating that positive response to the draft joint statement of Turkey-U.S. Joint Commission came from the United States, Buyukanit said that the statement would be made from the Office of General Staff on Tuesday morning.
Buyukanit stated that there was ''lack of communication'' between the two countries ''instead of crisis of confidence.''
They reached a consensus to form ''a coordination mechanism'' to prevent misunderstandings and occurrence of similar incidents, Buyukanit pointed out.
Buyukanit said that communication between the two countries regarding the region would continue with help of ''communication units'' to be formed within that framework.
''They would act together from now on,'' Buyukanit noted.
Buyukanit stated that ''strategic partnership'' between two countries continued.
Recalling that they had said that the incident was wrong since the very beginning, Buyukanit said that the reason of existence of Turkish soldiers in the region was the existence of terrorist organization there.
Buyukanit stated that Turkish military would continue to exist in the region as long as that threat continued.
There were not any demands and even any implication from the United States for reduction of number of Turkish soldiers in the region, Buyukanit said.
Upon a question, Buyukanit said that Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani also came onto agenda during meetings.
Buyukanit noted that Talabani, in person, was not involved in the incident but peshmerges in the region were involved.
General Buyukanit also stated that head of U.S. Central Command John Abizad was expected to come to Ankara on July 18.
(BRC) 14.07.2003