ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul left on Thursday for Italy to attend the ''Conclave'' of the European Union (EU) Ministers of Foreign Affairs on the Intergovernmental Conference in Naples.
Replying to questions of reporters prior to his departure, Gul said that decision of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) was the biggest concession made for terrorism.
Gul noted that ''UEFA had made following sports events a target of terrorists unintentionally.''
UEFA's decision was unacceptable, Gul stated.
Gul added, ''European countries and organizations should be beside us when Turkey is fighting against terrorism.''
Gul defined on Thursday developments concerning decision of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to switch Galatasaray-Juventus and Besiktas-Chelsea matches from Turkey to neutral venues as an incident beyond sports.
Prior to his departure for Italy to attend the ''Conclave'' of the European Union (EU) Ministers of Foreign Affairs on the Intergovernmental Conference in Naples, Gul said, ''we hope European countries and organizations are aware of what they have done. Otherwise, they will make the biggest concession to terrorism.''
Gul said that they hoped UEFA to take a backward step from its wrong decision and their efforts continued.
The decision was unacceptable and a very wrong decision, Gul noted.
Gul said, ''European countries and organizations should be beside us when Turkey is fighting against terrorism. This is the biggest concession made to terrorism. UEFA has made following sports events a target of terrorists unintentionally. Therefore, it is a very wrong decision. We hope it will take a backward step from this wrong decision.''
Turkey had contacted Juventus and Chelsea and Italy and Britain, Gul stated.
Gul pointed out that he met with Italian and British ambassadors to Turkey yesterday.
''We want the clubs to express their wish to come to Istanbul. These wishes will be conveyed to UEFA. We expect UEFA to meet again and change this decision,'' Gul said.
Gul said, ''this decision is an incident beyond sports. We hope European countries and organizations are aware of what they are doing. Otherwise, they will make the biggest concession to terrorism. It is not certain who and where terrorism will hit.''
Underlining that Turkey was not a country where terrorist attacks occurred every day, Gul drew attention that such incidents also occurred in other countries.
Gul said that as problems in Bask region of Spain continued, as IRA terrorism continued in Britain, as France was face to face with terrorism, football matches in those countries were not delayed or played in other places.
Reminding journalists that many teams were anyway having matches in Turkey, Gul said Turkish state and security forces took all kinds of measures and would continue to do so.
When asked whether or not British and Italian ambassadors, whom he met on Wednesday, gave assurances to withdraw their application to have the matches in neutral venues, Gul said ambassadors were not authorized to give such assurances.
Gul said, ''ambassadors will launch necessary initiatives to their countries. We conveyed necessary messages to their countries and administrators through the ambassadors. I hope that this mistake will be corrected.''
Gul said he would convey the uneasiness Turkey felt over this decision during his bilateral meetings at Intergovernmental Conference in Naples.
Replying to a question which asked whether Turkey would protest the decision like withdrawing the teams if UEFA does not change its decision, Gul said, ''we will make a statement on the issue if we reach that point.''
Describing the decision as an incident beyond sports, Gul said administrators of Galatasaray and Besiktas teams were ready to make any necessary sacrifices and stated that they would act in line with the direction that would be shown by the government.
Gul said Turkish nation was in unity on this issue.
Giving information about the intergovernmental conference that would take place between November 28 and 29, Gul said European Union (EU) constitution would be discussed, and that the meeting was important as it was the last before summit meeting.
Gul said efforts were underway for completion of the draft constitution before EU summit, stating that there were still difficult issues that could not be solved yet. Gul also said he would have meetings with foreign ministers of many countries.
Gul said he would have bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Italy, and that he planned to return to Turkey on November 30.
(BRC-AY-AÖ) 27.11.2003