Chief Of General Staff: Aegean And Other Issues Can Be Solved In A Week

ATHENS - Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok said on Saturday that in case progress was recorded in Turkey's European Union (EU) membership, Aegean and other issues between Turkey and Greece could be solved in a week.
Ozkok, who interviewed with Elefterotipia newspaper published in Athens, stressed that Turkey and Greece should have friendly relations based on mutual confidence.
Problems between Turkey and Greece occurred since Athens considered control of FIR (flight international region) as the border, defended that its air space was 10 miles and it armed the Aegean islands, Ozkok noted.
Ozkok said that but he thought that talks on the issues were going well.
''In case Turkey records a progress in its EU membership process, Aegean and other issues can be solved in a week. We should have mutual confidence, but we should be careful against each other in military and political senses. Friendly relations contribute to welfare of two nations,'' Ozkok said.
Ozkok went on saying, ''once, I told a Greek general that 'both Turkish and Greek naval forces were too big for the Aegean and there would be serious losses in case of their conflict.' I also told him that 'then, we would have to re-establish our fleets and our nations would pay the costs.' I believe that we should solve our problems by correct interpretation of international agreements, dialogue and transparency.''
The year 2004 was not the deadline for solution of Turkish-Greek problems as stated in the Helsinki resolutions, Ozkok stated.
Ozkok said that the Council of Europe (COE) would evaluate the issue in 2004 but what was desired was to solve the problems earlier.
Turkey made many gestures to prove its good will, Ozkok emphasized.
Ozkok said that they sent air photographs to NATO since April 2000 and flight plans since December 2001.
When Turkish war planes entered international FIR line, Greek planes tried to repulse them while Turkey allowed Greek planes to perform maneuvers in international air space, Ozkok noted.
Ozkok announced that Turkish war planes unilaterally used NATO recognition signals.
''NATO sends flight plans to Greece. That is, they definitely know which plane will be in the FIR line. This can also be confirmed from NATO headquarters. I don't know why they are protesting,'' Ozkok said.
Replying to question of Elefterotipia claiming that ''Turkey did not respond to good-will gestures of Greece,'' Ozkok said, ''you can't talk about good will when Greece launches initiatives against the Lausanne Treaty, especially when it violates the status of east Aegean islands that have purified from weapons and tries to legalize it by including them in NATO maneuvers and plans. On the other hand, when the head of the terrorist organization PKK was captured in Greek Embassy in Kenya in 1999, Turkey made an important decision to start dialogue between two countries instead of accusing Greece of being a country backing terrorism. We are responding to all good-will gestures of you and expect a better response from your armed forces when compared with the past.''
Ozkok said that Lausanne Treaty and Paris agreements determined the islands belonging to Greece in the Aegean but there were some islets and rocky areas in the Aegean which were not given place in those agreements.
Greece was in an effort to strengthen its claim of ownership on those places which were not given to it by building constructions on them, Ozkok noted.
Ozkok stated that that problem which had never been discussed should be solved.
Many islets and rocky areas that do not have their own territorial waters were in international waters, not in Greek territorial waters, Ozkok said.
Upon another question, Ozkok said that he did not agree with the evaluation made in the past by Turkish side that the ownership of Gavdos island in the south of Crete was suspicious. Ozkok noted that it was a wrong evaluation which he did not support and was not a state policy.
Replying to questions on decision of parliament that Greece's increasing its territorial waters to 12 miles would be considered a casus belli for Turkey, Ozkok said that that decision was not a threat but it clearly stressed the limits of tolerance.
Ozkok said, ''a nation can start a war when its national interests are harmed. When you say 'this is the limit of our tolerance to this', the other side will evaluate what it will do. Turkey has shown the limits of its tolerance and said that 'it can't endure anything beyond this limit.' The rest will be decided by Greece. This approach doesn't mean a threat, but in fact, targets at bettering relations. Because, the main tactic of the armies in not to inform beforehand, but catch the other side unaware. We are not diplomats, we are soldiers. When you look at the history, you see that many countries attacked on other countries without declaring casus belli. As a soldier, I consider declaration of casus belli as an expression of transparency, intention and limits of tolerance. In fact, there is no need for declaration of casus belli to threaten any country. There are many other ways.''
Asked ''why Turkish army rejected Annan plan,'' Ozkok said, ''who says this? Media does.''
Ozkok noted that Annan plan did not satisfy both sides and was not accepted.
Turkey opposed to especially five points regarding the plan, Ozkok stated.
Ozkok said, ''we have notified these points to EU and the United States. I can't talk about whether Annan plan is good or bad. I can only evaluate it in strategic and defense aspects.''
Upon a question that Turkey wanted implementation of Annan plan together with Turkey's EU membership even if agreement was reached on the plan, Ozkok said, ''you talked about negotiations. There are some issues connected with our EU membership, not conditions. It is not easy for Turkey to accept these because it is not possible to return back if the EU doesn't accept Turkey. Our opposition is related with these points.''
Ozkok said that Cyprus was of utmost importance in military sense and drew attention to strategic importance of the island which was situated in a place that could control sea transportation of East Mediterranean.
''Of course, we want a Cyprus by which we will not withdraw and can defend Turkey when necessary. It is not directly related with Greece and it is not a new issue. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are not only people residing in Cyprus. Britain also has sovereignty right. We don't think that Greece can attack on Turkey from Cyprus,'' Ozkok said.
Upon a question that ''some circles in Turkey thought that Greece was threatening Turkey,'' Ozkok said, ''who says this? We have never said such a thing. You are saying this. Your Air Forces Commander, in an interview with a magazine named Amintika Themata, says that Turkish threat exists in an intensive and dangerous way. From whom did you hear the opposite?''
TSK SUPPORTS TURKEY'S ACCESSION TO EU AND REFORMS
Ozkok said that he received a foreign journalist for the first time and it showed the importance which was given to Turkish-Greek relations as this journalist was a Greek person.
Stressing that TSK fully supported reforms which were fulfilled within the scope of the Copenhagen criteria on Turkey's path to EU membership, he said that Turkish army believed that Turkey's EU membership would strengthen social state, develop economy and increase life standards.
When asked whether or not Turkey put some preconditions for EU membership, Ozkok said, ''no, it is out of question to put some conditions. Of course, there will be opposite views in a democratic society, but 70 percent of the people support EU membership. No one can be against it due to existence of this majority. But some people can express their doubts on membership procedures. For example, every country has special conditions. I think that those things can help making some different arrangements. We are ready to take risk of adjusting to European values and for compromise. On the other hand, some people ask what will happen in case Turkey is not accepted to the EU. That is, if we take risk and reach compromise, will it be harmful to Turkish society? Of course, all different views should be taken into consideration. But, I'm the head of the TSK. And as the representative of TSK, I underline that we always support our country's EU membership and reforms which were fulfilled.''
Ozkok said that EU membership's foreseeing partial transfer of sovereignty was not considered as a factor for dissuading Turkey from being an EU member and stated that definition of sovereignty changed in today's world.
Stating that Turkey was very close to EU membership, he said that Turkey did its utmost for adjustment to all criteria.
Upon a question on decisions which were taken at EU Helsinki Summit, Ozkok said that this question should be asked to politicians and stated that he did not percept EU decisions as an ultimatum. He added that the decisions were considered as some conditions which could be negotiated.
Asked whether Turkey felt fear for the United States' policy in the region, Ozkok said that a fear was out of question and stated that not only Turkish people but also whole world were curious about the United States' plans on Iraq.
''All are curious about it because the United States has not expressed a definite target. They are talking about mass destruction weapons, democratization of Iraq and overthrowing dictator Saddam, but they don't have any clear and objective target which will justify their operations in Iraq. People are naturally asking whether or not there is a target except things that are said. But we should believe American officials who said that they wanted to overthrow Saddam, provide peoples of the region with security and prevent terrorists from threatening neighbor countries like Turkey by using territories of Iraq,'' he said.
Underlining that there were two big problems on Iraq issue, Ozkok said that one of them was the terrorist organization PKK. He stated that the United States which stressed that it was fighting against international terrorism should also fight against this group which was included in its list of terrorist organization.
Ozkok said, ''it is an issue that we want to arrange with Americans. The second issue is stability of Iraq because instability in this country affects also Turkey. We have friendly relations with Arab world. Iraqi people who have suffered from war and dictatorial regime need aid. We have intention to extend help to Iraq to reach stability. Of course, our allies, the United States and Britain also need help.''
Asked whether the parliament took decision on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq to defend Turkey from Baghdad, Ozkok said, ''everyone can believe whatever he/she wants, but this is impossible in military aspect'' and stated that the decision was taken with military and political sense. He added however there were uncertainties and risks.
Stating that instability in Iraq would affect Turkey, Ozkok said, ''there are many terrorist organizations. There is no legal state there. There are many religious and national groups which can clash. Some of them are very close to our borders and we have historical ties with them. If a group wants aid, we won't reject like we did in the past.''
Upon another question on detention of Turkish soldiers in Sulaymaniyah by the U.S. soldiers, he said that this incident which he defined as a shadow over Turkey-United States military cooperation should not prevent a new friendly relation from being established.
Ozkok added, ''this wound will recover as time passes, but such a thing should not occur again.''
(EÖ-AÖ) 18.10.2003