ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkish soldiers would serve Iraq to help complete the transition process in that country as the friend and brother of Iraqi people as soon as possible not as an occupier force there.
Erdogan told reporters that the parliament granted authorization to the government under the Article 92 of the Constitution to make necessary arrangements to send soldiers to Iraq to contribute to security and stability of that country for one year.
The necessity, scope, limits and time of the deployment would be determined by the government, Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted that the government would act in line with aims of Turkey when taking a step.
Sending soldiers to Iraq would depend on course and results of meetings of the concerned sides, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan went on saying, ''therefore, we foresee that pre-meetings and contacts launched by all concerned sides should be concluded rapidly. Our government has requested the mentioned authorization from the parliament under the below listed views and will continue to keep to the same aims when using this authority.''
''Iraqi people have been oppressed due to war, violence and even poverty for a decade. It is the most natural right of this nation to take its place in the international community by being purified from every kind of pressure and to head for a free, pacifist and prosperous future. War has ended in Iraq but stability has not been restored yet. Settlement of security and stability in this country is the prior target in this new period. Taking life under guarantee which is the most fundamental right of people and meeting basic needs of Iraqi people depends on settlement of security and stability in the country. Settlement of tranquility and stability in Iraq is also indispensable in order to form an administration which represents Iraqi people, to enable efficient activities of institutions, and to complete this transition process in the possible shortest time,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan stressed that settlement of stability in Iraq would play a key role in formation of a democratic and prosperous Iraq which was living in peace, which had peace with its neighbors, and which was purified from ethnic and religious conflicts.
This was also of vital importance for preservation of Iraq's territorial integrity and national unity, Erdogan pointed out.
Erdogan said that one of the main conditions of a tranquil and secure life in Iraq was elimination of this country from the terrorist organizations and elements taken shelter there, including the PKK/KADEK and stated that this had priority for Turkey.
Drawing attention that all those issues had great importance for security of region where Turkey was situated, Erdogan said, ''our nation is beside friend and brother Iraqi people. Turkey sees all Iraqi people as a whole and embraces them. As I have stated in every occasion, we want to fulfil our duties as a humanity. Our nation deeply feels the pains of neighbor Iraqi people with whom they share a common history and geography. Easing pain in Iraq is an urgent duty.''
Erdogan went on saying, ''Turkey has come to the decision that it can't totally fulfil its duty as a neighbor in this big transformation process of Iraq with only its political support and humanitarian and economic aid, and without military contributions. Turkish units will serve Iraq to help complete the transition process as soon as possible as the friend and brother of Iraqi people not as an occupier force.''
Prime Minister Erdogan recalled that Turkey had contributed to peace and tranquility in many countries from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Afghanistan.
Stating that Turkish Armed Forces was an experienced peace force, Erdogan said that Turkish peace forces exerted efforts to meet daily needs of local people wherever they went with a humanitarian mission understanding and on the basis of respect and friendship.
Erdogan said that Turkish Armed Forces would behave so in Iraq.
Turkey was ready to make every kind of contribution to reconstruction process in Iraq, Erdogan noted.
Turkey did not have any doubt that all friend, brother and ally countries would support the military contributions Turkey decided to make to settle peace, tranquility and stability in Iraq, Erdogan stressed.
Erdogan wished that the decision of the parliament to authorize the government to send soldiers to Iraq would be beneficial for Turkey, Turkish people and Iraqi people.
When recalled about the preliminary news on decision of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council opposing to deployment of Turkish soldiers in their country and said that there were later some statements contrary to that news and asked about the information he had received, Erdogan said, ''your second expression is more correct. Because, the Foreign Ministry has received information from our embassy proving the opposite of the preliminary news.''
Asked if he had contacted with the U.S. government after the motion was adopted, Erdogan said that he had not had any contacts yet.
When asked if he thought of exchanging views with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on the implementation process of the motion, Erdogan said, ''there is not any situation which requires this at the moment. We will meet when necessary.''
(BRC) 07.10.2003