Turkish - American Business Council Holds A Panel On Turkey And United States In New Middle East

ISTANBUL - American-Turkish Council (ATC) Chairman Brent Scowcroft said on Friday that they hoped Iraq to be a democracy model in the Middle East and stated that ''but we should not forget that there has already been a democracy model there; that is, Turkey.''
Turkish-American Business Council held a panel on ''Turkey and the United States in New Middle East'' at Istanbul's Conrad Hotel.
Addressing the panel, Scowcroft said that Iraq was the most important focal point of the United States now.
Stating that Turkey was also interested in the results of situation in Iraq due to its location in the region, Scowcroft said that Turkey should play a constructive and key role together with the United States in the region.
Scowcroft said that Turkey, which was a secular and democratic Islamic country, was a very important model for the United States which wanted to provide stability in the region.
Pointing to Turkey's long fight against terrorism, Scowcroft said that Turkey's experience on this issue was of great importance for the United States.
Scowcroft said that the United States was interested in Turkey not only for military issues, but also for economic, political and commercial developments in Iraq.
Scowcroft said that the United States wanted to form a definite model in the region to bring peace and prosperity to the region and stated that they hoped Iraq to be a democracy model in the Middle East. Scowcroft added that ''but we should not forget that there has already been a democracy model there; that is, Turkey.''
Turkey-United States parliamentary friendship group chairman and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Egemen Bagis said that the United States should maintain its determination to better situation in Iraq to prevent giving different messages to several dictators.
Stating that whole world was responsible for providing stability in Iraq, Bagis said that the United States should make a commitment against terrorism to gain support of Turkish government and also the opposition. Bagis said that people could not make a discrimination as good terrorist and bad terrorist and added that they expected the United States to make such a commitment.
Bagis said that living standards of people in Iraq should be improved as soon as possible to provide stability there and noted, ''when we send soldiers to Iraq, we will also send engineers and doctors. We will work to improve living standards there.''
Turkish-American Business Council Chairman Vural Akisik said that a stable Middle East was to the interests of both Turkey and the western world.
U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings said that both Turkish and also American people were aware of the importance of Turkish-U.S. relations and stated that there could be some problems in every relations from time to time. Hastings added that Turkey did many things and it was continuing to do so.
Turkey-United States parliamentary friendship group member and Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Onur Oymen said that his party had the view that the United States should extend help to reconstruction of Iraq and added that the United States should also share more responsibility with the United Nations.
(EÖ-AÖ) 26.09.2003