Yildirim: United States Is Optimistic About Turkey's Decision On Dispatch Of Soldiers To Iraq

WASHINGTON - Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said on Thursday that the United States was optimistic about Turkey's decision on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq.
Yildirim, who is in the United States to attend flight security and safety summit, told a press conference that U.S. Secretary of Transportation told him during their meeting that the United States was optimistic about Turkey's decision on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq.
He and Mineta agreed that problems faced in Turkish-U.S. relations since the non-adoption of the motion by the parliament in March were replaced with mutual confidence, Yildirim said.
Yildirim noted that Turkish-U.S. cooperation was clearly seen in their meeting and he told Mineta that hesitations should be left aside.
Stating that conditions had changed today when compared with the days when the motion came onto agenda on March 1, Yildirim said, ''there was war those days. Now, efforts are exerted to prevent death of people. In our meeting, I told Mineta that the parliament will have a different point of view this time. And, I said that the United States should take lesson from the mistakes it made before the first motion.''
Yildirim quoted Mineta as saying, ''we stressed democracy. But, when Turkey fulfilled necessity of its democracy, we couldn't endure it. This is our mistake.''
Turkey could not say that ''developments in the region would not concern it'', Yildirim said.
When asked about his personal view on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq, Yildirim said, ''I think that conditions have changed since March 1. If Turkey and the United States don't make unnecessary and individual statements before the motion, it will also be beneficial for Turkey.''
Asked what would happen if the decision on dispatch of soldiers was not passed from parliament, Yildirim said that it would not be right to comment on hypothesis.
Yildirim noted that the government had expressed its will on the issue and the issue would be brought to agenda of parliament.
''Everybody will consent to decision of parliament. It won't be right to say that we guarantee adoption of the decision. Non-adoption of the dispatch of soldiers will not be a good development. But, I have seen that the United States have taken lessons. Similarly, we should act carefully,'' Yildirim said.
Yildirim stated that he also debated the same issue with Roy Blunt, the U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip.
''Bilateral relations and Turkey's dispatch of soldiers to Iraq seem to have utmost importance. We also expressed our views in this meeting.'' Yildirim said.
Yildirim pointed out that two officials of Boeing firm visited him and pointed out that Turkish Airlines (THY) was in an effort to ''broaden its fleet.''
The schedule of the broadening of THY fleet would become clear within a week or ten days, Yildirim stated.
Recalling that there were two big firms namely Airbus and Boeing in international competition, Yildirim said that a tender would be opened.
Yildirim noted that direct flights to Washington could start after the THY fleet was broadened.
He gave the message during his contacts that Turkey was ready to cooperate in infrastructural works and transportation in Iraq, Yildirim said.
Yildirim stated that the main themes of the meetings on flight security he attended in Washington were taking new security measures in the air, informing flight attendants, taking measures in airports, improving cooperation in regional air security in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Ministers of countries like Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary attended the meeting, Yildirim said.
Yildirim pointed out that an agreement on 300 thousand U.S. dollars of training was signed between Turkey and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Around 36 air traffic officials and ground services officials would be trained under that agreement, Yildirim said.
Yildirim noted that the U.S. officials drew attention that THY was the first airline company which was allowed to land at U.S. airports after the September 11th terrorist attacks, stated that Turkey could extend civil aviation support to regional and other countries, and praised Turkey.
Touching on privatization of Turk Telekom, Yildirim pointed out that the tender was also open to foreigners and added that the privatization schedule would be announced as of the end of October.
Yildirim will depart from the United States on Saturday.
(BRC) 12.09.2003