IZMIR - Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek has said, ''we have lost 30 thousand people in acts of terrorism. We do not want anyone and any country to suffer from terrorism.''
Speaking at the 52nd meeting of Turkey-the European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Commission at Izmir's Hilton Hotel, Cicek said, ''unfortunately, Turkey and the EU could not agree on definition of terrorism and measures to be taken to prevent acts of terrorism. When we described someone as a terrorist, you accepted him a warrior of freedom. We have lost 30 thousand people in acts of terrorism. We do not want anyone and any country to suffer from terrorism. We know how bitter and sorrowful it is. But we also know that when we were grieving for our losses, our friends sent only messages of condolences, not proposals of co-operation against terrorism. The countries have begun proposing co-operation to each after the bomb attacks in Spain.''
Recalling that the EU-member countries had not recognized the PKK as a terrorist organization for years, Cicek said, ''our European friends have recognized the PKK as a terrorist organization after killing of 30 thousand people in Turkey. You should take into consideration an important fact: none of EU-member and candidate countries made their reforms under such difficult conditions. We have made all these reforms in such an atmosphere. We honestly say that we have some deficiencies. Now, the EU should encourage Turkey.''
Besides Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Justice Minister Cicek, 12 Turkish deputies, more than 20 foreign parliamentarians and representatives of several embassies in Turkey attended the meeting.
(UK) 06.04.2004