ANKARA - Deputy Chief of General Staff Ilker Basbug said on Monday that Turkey, which had suffered much from terrorism for years, tried to draw attention of the world to how big danger the humanity was facing due to terrorism and added that it was not possible to say that Turkey had been extended sufficient support in its calls for fight against terrorism.
Turkish Armed Forces Partnership for Peace (PfP) Training Center 2003-2004 education-training year began by a ceremony.
Speaking in the ceremony, Basbug said that cold war which had continued for 40 years relegated to the pages of history and walls dividing countries and peoples were demolished.
Basbug noted that an understanding of a warless world in which people shared welfare could be developed.
''We are witnessing indefiniteness and days of change. Globalism has become an important matter and threats have changed accordingly. Instability and indefiniteness like international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, fundamentalism, ethnic cleansing tendencies, people forced to leave their homes and refugee movements, human trafficking and illicit drug and arms trafficking have started to be seen in the new political and military strategic atmosphere of the post Cold War era,'' Basbug said.
Basbug stated, ''as security policies have had new dimensions, it doesn't seem possible for only one country or organization to eliminate all threats and risks. Therefore, there is need for more active and closer international cooperation to cope with sudden developments that the international community can come across and to remove reasons for new conflicts. Fight against terrorism is the leading issue in which we need this cooperation. Turkey, which has suffered much from terrorism for years, have tried to draw attention of world to how big danger the humanity is facing due to terrorism. Unfortunately, it is not possible to say that Turkey has been extended sufficient support in its calls for fight against terrorism.''
In order to prevent terrorism from claiming more lives, sanctions to be imposed for countries which backed terrorism and which did not abide by decisions to fight against terrorism should be clearly defined, Basbug said.
Basbug listed some decisions on fight against terrorism to be abided by the countries as reaching consensus on a common definition of terrorism and terrorist, eliminating gaps in international law regarding terrorism, putting into practice U.N. Security Council resolution on fight against terrorism, establishing an international organization for fight against terrorism, and forming lists of terrorist organizations.
Turkey, which was situated in one of the most conflicting regions of the world covered with the Caucasus, Middle East and the Balkans, was in the center of instability and changeability, Basbug said.
Basbug pointed out that Turkey did its best in the light of Great Leader Ataturk's principle of ''Peace at home, peace in the world'' in the new global atmosphere which not only required big struggles and but also offered many opportunities in order to support concerted efforts to maintain peace.
Twenty-one courses and ''Silk Road General/Admiral Seminar'' would be held by the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Training Center Command in the new education and training year, Basbug added.
(BRC) 06.10.2003