DIYARBAKIR - British Ambassador in Ankara Peter Westmacott said on Thursday that British and U.S. governments welcomed Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq.
Westmacott who came to southeastern Diyarbakir province met with Diyarbakir Greater City Mayor Feridun Celik.
Westmacott said that ambassadors should visit every part of the country they worked in and should give information regarding their own countries.
When a reporter asked his evaluation about Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq, Westmacott said that there was a security problem in Iraq and added that British and U.S. governments welcomed Turkey's sending soldiers to that country. He said that there were negotiations between the United States and Turkey regarding the time, place and transportation conditions of dispatching of Turkish soldiers. He added that the issue was not directly related with British government, but he thought that an agreement would be reached.
When recalled that some groups in Iraq were against dispatch of Turkish soldiers, Westmacott said that there was a group which was uneasy about Turkish soldiers' existence in the region, but there was also another group which wanted Turkish soldiers. Noting that it would be more right to take views of every groups in Iraq, Westmacott said that the United States and Turkey would discuss a solution which would include all parts to be affected from this decision and added that the most important point was what would be done for the security of Iraqi people.
(GC-AY) 16.10.2003