ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy prime Minister Abdullah Gul informed on Wednesday foreign mission chiefs in Ankara on the decision for sending soldiers to Iraq.
Many ambassadors, including U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman attended the meeting.
Diplomatic sources said that Gul emphasized that the decision should not be evaluated only as sending soldiers to Iraq. Gul also said that Turkey would not only restore security in the region that would be given under its responsibility, but also contribute to reconstruction of the region and increasing economic prosperity.
Noting that not restoring security atmosphere in Iraq was an obstacle before reconstruction of the country, Gul said that Turkey would go to Iraq to provide peace, not as an occupier force.
Gul said that existence of foreign forces would not be needed in Iraq when security would be restored and added that restricting the period of Turkish soldiers' existence in Iraq with the motion showed the desire of Turkey for withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq as soon as possible.
Noting that Iraqi people wanted foreign occupation to end rapidly, but withdrawal of those forces early could cause a chaos, Gul said that Turkish forces were in a condition to be preferred by Iraqi people.
(GC-AÖ) 08.10.2003