ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkish soldiers were not going to Iraq as a police or gendarme force but would be there for happiness and tranquility of Iraqi people.
Replying to questions of reporters, Erdogan said, ''negative approaches to soldiers who will go for happiness and tranquility can't be accepted.''
Asked how he evaluated the view of several organizations in Iraq who did not want Turkish soldiers in their country, Erdogan said, ''It is true that some tribes in Iraq evaluate as positive Turkey's views about helping Iraqi people ensure prosperity and happiness while some others consider it negative. Negotiations still continue. Turkish soldiers are only going there to support Stabilization Force.''
Erdogan went on saying, ''we are going there to accelerate the peace process, the process of formation of a democratic state of law, and to help Iraq catch up with the performance that will help its integration with the world.''
''I would like to especially stress that Turkish Armed Forces has soldiers in 26 separate countries. Our soldiers always support and contribute to peace in every place they go. Similarly, the attitude of our General Staff and government towards Iraq is to accelerate the process there and extend necessary support to restore peace,'' Erdogan added.
Asked if Turkish soldiers would go to Iraq as a peace force, Erdogan said, ''of course, there is a stabilization force. They will go to contribute to the stabilization force.''
Erdogan stated that there was no electricity and water in Iraq and infrastructure totally collapsed.
Turkey could take very active role in reconstruction of the infrastructure, Erdogan said.
Erdogan emphasized that many contracting companies were currently in Iraq and non-governmental organizations also went to the region.
Thousands of trucks were carrying food to Iraq every day, Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted, ''Turkey is almost the main artery of the issue, medicine and construction materials are dispatched to Iraq through Turkey.''
Asked if region where Turkish soldiers would serve was definite, Erdogan said that talks continued and there was nothing concrete.
When asked if Turkey had sine qua non conditions in its talks with the United States like fight against the terrorist organization PKK, Erdogan said that their sensitivity about PKK/KADEK was certain and that sensitivity would continue.
Replying to a question about route of Turkish soldiers when going to Iraq and about statements of some Kurdish groups that they did not want Turkish soldiers in Iraq, Erdogan said, ''we have authorized the General Staff to deal with these issues. Talks continue. These steps will not be taken unless security is ensured. Position of not only Barzani and Talabani but also the Iraqi Interim Governing Council on Iraq is certain.''
Erdogan noted, ''we will evaluate all these issues. Turkish soldiers aren't going there as a police or gendarme force. They are going for happiness and tranquility of Iraqi people. Negative approaches to soldiers who will go for happiness and tranquility can't be accepted.''
When a reporter said, ''if the United States doesn't accept Turkey's demands'', Erdogan said, ''we don't bargain with the United States. The issues to be taken up from now on are technical issues.''
(BRC-Öª) 09.10.2003