WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday that the U.S. wanted Cyprus solution process to advance on the basis of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan.
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul had a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell the same day. After the meeting, Powell responded to questions of journalists.
Praising the steps taken by Turkey for solution of Cyprus issue, Powell said that the U.S. extended support to both sides' launching efforts in Cyprus and that the U.S. was ready to extend all sorts of help for finding a solution in Cyprus.
Powell said that Foreign Minister Gul used the title facilitator for him, adding that the U.S. supported the U.N.'s Cyprus vision and advancing progress on the basis of Annan plan.
When asked if the pressure was only on the Greek side, Powell said that he was not a mediator and they were in contact with both sides in Cyprus. The pressure was on all sides, he said adding he thought that a solution was close in Cyprus.
Powell stated that he also discussed the issue related to north of Iraq with Gul, adding that Iraq was a single country and one entity. The oil of this country was in the hand of the central government, Powell said adding that the U.S. supported the territorial integrity of Iraq.
Powell gave the message that the U.S. would take the necessary steps about the terrorist organization PKK.
Gul said in his part that they discussed issues of Cyprus and Iraq, adding that the Turkish side wanted to start negotiations in Cyprus as soon as possible by taking Annan plan as the reference.
Powell said that he thanked Gul for recent efforts Turkey has made to align itself with the Annan Plan, adding that there was still much more work to be done, but there was a moment of opportunity that they hoped to seize and have referendums and resolve outstanding issues and hopefully get it all done by May 1.
Powell said that he promised that the United States was ready to make every type of contribution to find a solution to Cyprus issue and told Gul that he would get personally involved as necessary to work with the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and the parties to try to find a solution for this long-standing and most difficult problem.
When asked what his role would be in Cyprus issue and whether he would be a mediator, Powell said that he would not and added that Annan put forth a plan and he considered Annan's plan as a good plan and both sides were responding to demands of Annan at the moment. He said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had made important statements in the weekend and the United States were supporting both sides, adding that they were not the mediator and interlocutor in this issue. Powell said that Gul preferred to consider him as facilitator.
When a reporter asked Gul whether he accepted Annan Plan, Gul said, ''we will consider this plan as a reference and we can work on it and we will. Negotiations will start and Annan Plan will be a reference.''
Upon questions about autonomy demands of Iraqi Kurds, Powell said that they had a common understanding on Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity and added that Iraq's natural resources would belong to the whole of Iraqi people and those were main issues they agreed on.
Noting that serious talks were carried on in the region now, Powell said that the United States' top administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer was in contact both with Iraqi Governing Council and Turkish officials.
Powell said that he told Gul that the U.S. policy was Iraq's remaining as a single country and existence, and its resources belonging to the whole Iraqi people and that its administration should belong to a central government.
Powell said that they would launch ''appropriate activities'' regarding the terrorist organization PKK and added that they shared the uneasiness of Turkey about the activities of PKK. He said that they discussed Syria and Iran issues as well.
Upon a question of a reporter, Gul expressed the desire of Syria for making peace with Israel.
Gul said that Syria wanted peace process to be more comprehensive and wanted the process to include Lebanon as well.
Noting that Syria had to take some steps, Powell said that he did not see that Syria took sufficient steps.
Powell said that Syria should avoid of keeping mass destruction weapons and transferring weapon to Palestinians. He added that Syria could not be serious about good relations as long as it transferred weapons that were killing innocent people in Jerusalem.
Powell and Gul condemned suicide attack that was launched in Jerusalem today.
(GC-AÖ) 29.01.2004