ANKARA - National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said on Monday that information about dispatch of soldiers to Iraq could be sent as a report to the meeting of National Security Council (NSC) which would convene this week.
Gonul received German Federal Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Volker Ruhe.
Ruhe said that Gonul and he discussed Afghanistan and they also assessed close cooperation in Afghanistan between Turkey and Germany.
Ruhe stated that he was very interested in Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq and said that Germany was also very interested in stability in Iraq like Turkey, which was a neighbor country of Iraq.
Volker Ruhe said that he would also visit some provinces in Southeastern Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia regions for five or six days and added that he would give conference and hold meetings in the provinces.
When a reporter said, ''we will have a critical week on Iraq issue. Has all information which will form the view of the government been gathered? Is there anything expected from the United States?'' Gonul said, ''studies on the issue continue.''
Asked whether or not a written answer to questions of Turkey was sent, Gonul said, ''it does not need to be written. We are expecting information to questions which Turkey asked. They are asking us, and we are asking them. Exchange of information is continuing.''
When asked whether it would be completed and concluded this week, he said, ''I think it can be sent as a report to the meeting of NSC. But, it does not mean that it will have a final shape and a decision will be taken according to it. But, it will come to the agenda of NSC. Some documents will be sent to the NSC. We are still working on it.''
Concerning Turkish-German relations, Gonul said that both countries had relations rooted in history.
''Bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany are very good. We, as the ministry, have intensive relations with Germany,'' he said and noted that there were intensive relations in military field and defense industry.
(EÖ-AÖ) 15.09.2003