''WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW TERRORISTS TO TAKE OUR SOCIETIES UNDER THEIR INFLUENCE FOR THEIR BLOODY PURPOSES''
ANKARA - President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan has said, ''terrorists have chosen the Muslim world as their target. Recently, both Turkey and Pakistan were included among targets of terrorism. We should not allow terrorists to take our societies under their influence for their bloody purposes. Unfortunately, these terrorists have tarnished the Islam.''
Speaking at the Parliamentary General Assembly, President Musharraf, who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey as the guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, said, ''there are businessmen, engineers and economists at the Turkish parliament. This increases both quality and value of the parliament. Deputies of a country advocate further improvement of friendly relations with the other countries. Culture and history are the most important elements tying two countries to each other. Relations between Turkey and Pakistan have a long history. While the Ottoman army was fighting in the Crimea, Pakistani women sent their jewels in an effort to support them.''
Describing Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern and secular Republic of Turkey, as a ''hero'', President Musharraf said, ''Muslim people in our country give his name to their children.''
Noting that relations between the two countries had consolidated after Pakistan acquired its independence, President Musharraf said, ''the Peace Operation in Cyprus in 1974 further developed our relations. Turkey has never made any concessions from its support to Pakistan. We are especially grateful to Turkey for its support to Pakistan on Kashmir dispute. Leaders and governments will change, but the affection of Turkish and Pakistani peoples to each other will always continue.''
Pointing out that the world had been experiencing serious turmoil, uncertainties and clashes, President Musharraf said, ''we have been living through a significant global transformation process. When we consider position of the Islam world, we will see that Turkey and Pakistan constitute an important element. Terrorists have chosen the Muslim world as their target. Recently, both Turkey and Pakistan were included among targets of terrorism. We should not allow terrorists to take our societies under their influence for their bloody purposes. Unfortunately, these terrorists have tarnished the Islam. Actually, the Islam is the religion of co-existence and peace. We reject terrorism and extremism in all their forms. The world has, unfortunately, become a dangerous place to live in. The gap between the Western world and the Islam world stemming from misunderstandings have been increasing day by day. And this gives rise to expectations of clash among civilizations. Different perceptions emerge daily. Unfortunately, the Western world considers the Islam as the religion of extremism, militants and intolerance.''
''Muslim people take place in all political disagreements in the world directly or indirectly. And this leads to many misunderstandings. It is again the Muslim world suffering from poverty. Turkey and Pakistan should cooperate with other to settle peace in the region. Now, we are standing at a milestone. We will either seize this moment or miss it to let other countries determine our future,'' he added.
''TURKEY WILL ABSOLUTELY JOIN EU IN THE FUTURE''
Musharraf said that Turkey would join absolutely the European Union (EU) one day and its membership to the Union will bring a divine responsibility to Turkey due to its being a bridge between Muslim World and Europe.
Musharraf said Muslim world should refrain from extremism and should focus on socioeconomic development. Musharraf said that on the other hand the Western World, the United States and the United Nations (U.N.) should extend aid to Muslim World to develop socioeconomically.
Noting that Islamic Conference should be restructured, Musharraf said that Turkey would also play an important role in that respect. He said Turkey would also undertake the role of catalyst as it hosted the conference.
Stating that Pakistan supported Turkish Cypriot people's legitimate and fair struggle till the very end, Musharraf said that they believed that settlement of atmosphere of confidence between two societies in Cyprus was a precondition for solution. He added that Pakistan considered bizonality and two societies as the solution of the issue.
Musharraf said that they were working to form ways of peace and cooperation in the region where they lived and stated that they could not stay as enemies with India till the end. Stating that problems made relations difficult between the two countries, Musharraf said that it was very important to solve peacefully Kashmir problem and all problems for settlement of a lasting peace in Asia.
Noting that they wanted to make their region a peace and prosperity region and provide collective economic development, Musharraf said that no progress could be recorded by negative approaches. Musharraf said that relations between Turkey and Pakistan further developed and thanked Turkey for its solidarity on the issue.
Musharraf said that they attributed great importance to territorial integrity of Afghanistan. Underlining that they believed in Bonn process, Musharraf stated that stability in Afghanistan could be settled through this way.
Noting that Iraq was an open wound in Muslim World, Musharraf said that they shared similar views on the issue with Turkey. Musharraf said that territorial integrity of Iraq must be protected. He stated that Iraqi people should have the right to elect their own government and to give their own decisions on their natural resources. Musharraf said that public order should be settled in Iraq as soon as possible. Musharraf added that after stability was settled in this country, foreign powers should gradually withdraw from this country.
Musharraf said that they supported Palestinian people's struggle to gain their independence. He said he hoped that international efforts would yield positive results for the two countries to live together and in harmony.
Musharraf said that good relations between Turkey and Pakistan should be further strengthened economically and commercially. He said that they wanted to increase the trade volume which was 250 million U.S. dollars to one billion U.S. dollars between the two countries. He added that they wanted to set up partnerships especially in telecommunication and defense fields.
(EÖ-AÖ) 20.01.2004