ISTANBUL - Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that Turkey would never submit to terrorism and added, ''I hope lessons will be taken from these incidents and a new period will start in the world in fight against terrorism.''
Gul and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw held a joint press conference after visiting blast sites in Istanbul.
Foreign Minister Gul said that Turkey faced an organized terrorist attack and two synagogues were the target of last Saturday's attacks and a bank and British Consulate General in Istanbul were the sight of Thursday's attacks.
Gul said that many Turkish citizens died as well as British Consulate General in Thursday's attacks.
Foreign Minister Gul expressed his condolences over demise of British Consul General Roger Short to Straw.
Gul implored God's mercy for the victims, offered his condolences to families of the victims, and wished quick recovery to the injured.
Foreign Minister Gul went on saying, ''we damn and condemn this terrorist attack. Turkey will never submit to terrorism. We hope all countries will be in close cooperation in fight against terrorism. It is too early to say anything more about the terrorists. Turkish police identified the terrorists who staged last week's attacks in a very short time. I am sure that terrorists who staged yesterday's terrorist attacks will be identified soon.''
''But, it is a fact that terrorism can hit everybody and everywhere. Therefore, all countries should be in cooperation in fight against terrorism. No tolerance should be shown. I hope lessons will be taken from these incidents and a new period will start in the world in fight against terrorism,'' Gul added.
GUL: SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED
Gul said regarding yesterday's bomb attacks that ''some people have been arrested, but it's too early to give any information about them.''
Responding to questions in the news conference with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Gul said that the studies of security teams about the attacks continued, adding that the terrorists who staged the bomb attacks last Saturday were identified and the assailants of the recent attacks would be identified too.
''Certainly, this problem will be sorted out and security units will find those behind those attacks,'' Gul noted.
When asked why Turkey was targeted in the attacks, Gul said that synagogues were targeted in the first attack, later the British interests were targeted, adding that Turkey was also a target.
''As British Foreign Secretary Mr. Straw said, we upgrade our democracy. We try to prove that a Muslim country can be transparent and it fulfils human rights in the best way. A Muslim country can have relations with the modern world in harmony. This certainly made some people uneasy, but we will continue on our way,'' Gul said.
When a foreign journalist asked his view about Turkish citizens' taking part in those attacks and if a decision would be taken about those issues during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting the same day, Gul said ''we don't know yet who did the attacks, we hope that they will be identified soon. You can find terrorists everywhere, in every country. NSC meeting is not an emergency meeting, it is a regular one. We will take up security issues there.''
''Do you think that those attacks will continue? The first target was Israel, and the second one was Britain. Is the third target U.S.?'' asked journalists to Gul who said that ''certainly, we can't say that. Our security forces took all of its measures. We are in alarm at the moment.''
(BRC-ÖŞ-AÖ) 21.11.2003