ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday night that the nation had to trust the government about the issue of sending soldiers to Iraq.
''We, as Turkey, as General Staff, never want our army to get involved in something dirty. The nation should trust us at this point,'' said Erdogan.
Erdogan, who is currently in Germany, responded to questions of journalist Fatih Altayli in a tv programme broadcast live in Berlin.
When asked if a motion would be submitted to the parliament about dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq, Erdogan said that they were assessing the issue. Erdogan pointed out that they wanted to make assessments which were not earlier made in Afghanistan and in other similar incidents.
''We want to make an assessment. Later, we should take our step in the most ideal way and so that a consensus can be reached on the issue,'' said Erdogan.
Recalling that General Staff and Foreign Ministry undertook studies, Erdogan said that these studies would be evaluated in the National Security Council meeting that would be held on September 22. Erdogan pointed out that the government would make assessments again for the steps that needed to be taken and then the necessary steps would be taken.
''If the government decides to send soldiers to Iraq, then will you bring this to the parliament without seeking for the approval of the president?'' asked the journalist to Erdogan who replied that Turkey could not stay indifferent to the fire that continued in its neighbour.
Erdogan noted that Iraq was a neighbour of Turkey forever and that many families in southeast Turkey were relatives of tribes in Iraq, adding they could not ignore this fact. Erdogan stressed that the conditions during the war and the conditions today should be regarded differently while giving this decision.
''Turkey should go to Iraq by the approval of the latter. Iraqis should say that they would be pleased if Turkish soldiers would go to Iraq. When Turkish soldiers went to Afghanistan, tranquillity was ensured. When Turkish soldiers left there, turmoil started again. We want Turkish soldiers to go to Iraq for the happiness of the Iraqi people. We should not go there as a police or gendarme force. We don't have such a view. I suppose Iraqi people who objectively assess the situation will also accept Turkey's point of view,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted that the U.S. had to evaluate well the sensitivity in Iraq and had to think of that well, adding that in fact U.S. officials confessed their mistakes.
''If you say that there is an authoritarian regime in Iraq and a democratic system should be brought, then you should do its requirements. While doing that, you should treat Iraqi people in a way that's calculated to please them,'' he said. Erdogan commented that Turkey could fulfill a very important function to end the bad conditions in Iraq.
Erdogan said that he believed General Staff was also sensitive about the issue, adding that ''if we want to have a place in the physical and political reconstruction of Iraq tomorrow, we have to take these steps. If we don't, our relations with our future neighbours can have negative aspects. We need a national policy to end these negative aspects. This national policy should first of all be formed during the summit meeting.''
When he was told that he put President Sezer's participation in it as a condition, Erdogan said, ''his participation in it will be very beneficial. But, Mr. President is always looking for this legitimacy issue within the scope of law. We assess the issue by considering political perspective. Views of General Staff are also important, but all of us should look at the same target. I believe that in case we form a decision by looking at the same target, it will affect the parliament in a very different way if such a decision should be taken or if we, as the government, are to send such a motion to the parliament.''
Upon another question, he said, ''there are some developments concerning dispatch of soldiers to Iraq that can affect negatively the Council of Ministers, even the summit. Information, evidences and documents that Turkish delegations that visited the region will bring are very important.''
Erdogan stated, ''we will first see the situation there and then we will be involved in an event from which we will get favorable result. But, if we are not to get any favorable result, it is unnecessary to be involved.''
''We, as Turkey, as General Staff, never want our army to get involved in something dirty. The nation should trust us at this point. We are assessing the issue in detail. President Sezer, General Staff and the government have this sensitivity. After we assess the issue, we send it to the parliament, if necessary. The parliament will take the final decision. But if things develop positively, we will inform our friends in the parliament about it in detail and we will say that we think in such a way and we ask them to take a decision this way,'' he stated.
Upon another question, Erdogan said that if the parliament took a decision on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq, the United States would hand over a definite region to Turkey.
Erdogan said, ''I believe that we will make contact with people there and we, as Turkey, will solve the issue. Why do we solve? Because both countries have some similar values. There is a structure which don't concur with those values there. Women are very sacred in Islam. Harassment towards women there make people rebel. But, Turkish soldiers have sensitivity. People in the region will show sympathy to Turkish soldiers, as their sensitivity is known. When there is sympathy towards soldiers, problems will start to be solved. We, as Turkey, also said that Turkey should be involved in providing electricity, water and such issues as soon as possible, and we'll do what is necessary, as Iraq is also a neighbour of Turkey. We should make Iraqi people have electricity, water and infrastructure as soon as possible.''
Upon a question, he said that there was not any problem between the government and the General Staff and stated, ''all those things are virtual and baseless. Any problem between the government and General Staff means to overshadow success of the government. Why do we commit suicide?''
Erdogan stressed that General Staff's being powerful meant Turkey's being powerful against external powers.
(Öª-EÖ-AÖ) 02.09.2003