ISTANBUL - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Saturday that there was obligation to make cooperation in fight against terrorism.
Cicek returned to Turkey completing his visit to the United States where he officially visited as the guest of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Speaking at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Cicek said statements like 'nobody should visit Turkey' meant expending passive support to terrorism.
Cicek said he met high ranking officials during his visits in the United States.
Stressing that the two countries had experienced a period of relations more than half a century particularly after World War II, Cicek said, ''when we consider the course of the relations, we see that this was for the benefit of the two countries and contributed to the world peace to a great extend.''
Cicek said, ''although some difficulties were experienced from time to time, the dynamics and the absolute necessities lying in the core of those relations brought the relations to a better point.''
Cicek said some difficulties which appeared together with Iraq war, were settled after this new period, noting that Turkish-U.S. relations would be further improved from now on.
Cicek said, ''2004 will be an important year in this sense. NATO summit will take place by mid 2004. We attribute importance to this summit. This will bring Turkey to the world agenda.''
Stating that another issue discussed in talks in U.S. was the reform studies in Turkey, Cicek said, ''U.S. covers and appreciates every kind of reform studies and the determination of our country in fight against corruption.''
Cicek said terrorism was the main agenda item of his meetings as this visit took place after terrorist attacks in Istanbul, stating that, ''evaluations were made regarding terrorism. We discussed the issue in details together with U.S. Attorney General, Defense Secretary and FBI Director.
''I think that the terrorist attacks constituted an important turning point in Turkish-U.S. relations,'' Cicek said thus a new period would start with U.S. in fight against terrorism.
Cicek said there was an obligation to fight against terrorism, noting that fight could not be carried out against terrorism by escaping and hiding.
Cicek also said extradition of Turkish citizens, who are serving imprisonment terms in U.S., was also taken up at his meetings.
(AY) 06.12.2003