ANKARA - U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman said on Tuesday that criticisms that the United States did not have any plan and program on postwar period in Iraq did not reflect the truth and stated that they were overcoming problems there.
Turkish-U.S. Interparliamentary Friendship Group hosted a luncheon at parliament in honor of Edelman.
Replying to deputies' questions on Iraq, Edelman said that they had plan and program regarding postwar period in Iraq and stated that they were overcoming problems there. He added that they would also overcome existing problems with measures which they took.
Sources said that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Turhan Comez who went to Iraq twice explained his views and observations regarding the situation in Iraq.
Comez said that problems on security and distribution of humanitarian aid continued in Iraq and stated that concerns of people were not removed. Comez said that the United States did not assume any positive attitude which aimed to gain the sympathy of Iraqi people after it won the war. Edelman said in response to Comez's statement that he agreed with it and stated that but they took the step. He added that the United States took steps to solve the infrastructure problems of Iraq.
Comez asked whether or not any measures were taken against the danger of ''Shiite-Sunni clash'' for the following process, Edelman said that this probability concerned them and stated that they were working to take measures against it.
Edelman said that criticisms which claimed that the United States did not have any plan and program on postwar period in Iraq did not reflect the truth and stated that they had some definite plans regarding postwar period in Iraq from the very beginning. Edelman said that the United States recorded progress on reconstruction of Iraq and noted that they were overcoming problems there. He said that they would also overcome existing problems with measures which they took and added that they recorded progresses during the period which passed in Iraq and they would continue to record further progress there.
Stating that 90 percent of the country were given electricity and this figure would be a hundred percent at the end of this year, Edelman said that many number of migrants came to Turkey after 1991 Gulf Crisis. He added that such a problem did not occur this time thanks to measures which were taken.
Stressing that they were facing some obstacles stemming from some small groups in Iraq, he said that those groups both prevented humanitarian aid and also people who wanted to work with themselves. Edelman said that problems stemming from Iraq's own interior structure should not be forgotten.
Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Sukru Elekdag asked what they expected from Turkish soldiers in Iraq, Edelman said that Turkish soldiers knew well Iraq and Iraqi people with respect to culture and stated that Turkish soldiers had similar experiences. Edelman said that Turkish soldiers accomplished successes in Afghanistan earlier and stated that they expected Turkish soldiers to make contributions with respect to culture and humanitarian aid which they could not make.
Edelman said that they were very pleased with the parliament's decision on sending soldiers to Iraq and recalled that how many and when Turkish soldiers would go to Iraq would be definite after talks on the issue. Edelman said that they attributed great importance to Turkish soldiers' going to a region where they could make the most contribution with respect to culture and humanitarian aid and stated that they were very sensitive about providing security of Turkish soldiers. Edelman said that they would leave there tomorrow and stated that but Turkey and Iraq were neighbor countries. He added that they wanted relations between Turkey and Iraq to be good.
When he was recalled that Iraqi Interim Governing Council did not want Turkish soldiers, Edelman said that they also received the same message and stated that it was sometimes said that British and American soldiers should leave the country. Stating that there could be different statements in the administration, he said that they did not take those statements seriously and neither should Turkey. He added that this problem would be overcome.
(EÖ-BRC) 14.10.2003