Turkish And British Prime Ministers Meet In Ankara

ERDOGAN AND BLAIR HOLD A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE
Following tete-a-tete talks and meetings between Turkish and British delegations, Erdogan and Blair held a joint news conference on Monday.
Recalling that British Prime Minister Blair was in Ankara on a daily working visit, Prime Minister Erdogan said that Blair came to Ankara under an agreement they reached last year to hold regular meetings on the prime ministry level.
"Mr. Blair's visit to Ankara is of great importance since a British Prime Minister is paying a state visit to Turkey after a period of 14 years. Mr. Blair is a distinguished statesman with his political experience and his leadership in international platforms. We are proud of hosting him in Ankara," he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan highlighted importance of the first summit between Turkish and British prime ministers in regard to political, economic, cultural and military relations with friendly and allied Britain and to confirmation of Britain's support to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process.
Noting that they had accepted an action plan between Turkey and Britain during the meeting, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "the target of the plan is to determine a series of concrete steps to be taken to further develop existing co-operation between our countries in many fields including Turkey's EU process. The plan stresses that Turkey's progress in its EU process was appreciated, and reiterates that both countries extended full support to the EU's enlargement process. Under the plan, regular consultations will be held on the level of foreign ministers to review measures to be taken by Turkey to adjust to the Copenhagen political criteria. As a result, technical co-operation between Turkey and Britain will further deepen."
"In the plan, we have expressed our will that both sides will exert efforts in the United Nations and the EU to hold more intensive commercial, economic, political and cultural meetings among Britain, the EU and the Turkish Cypriot side in order to put an end to international isolation against Turkish Cypriot people who supported United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan to find a solution to the Cyprus issue in the referendum on April 24," he emphasized.
Prime Minister Erdogan noted, "we have decided to work together both in international and regional platforms to hold a successful NATO Summit in Istanbul in June, to further develop defense and security co-operation between our countries, to intensify our efforts for a joint attitude against global security threats, and to contribute to provide stability in the region. We have singed a memorandum of understanding over fight against terrorism to this end."
"I believe that the action plan will help us to further improve our bilateral relations. Implementation of the action plan is of great importance. I will meet again with Mr. Blair during the NATO Summit in Istanbul in June. We attribute great importance to our relations with Britain as a strategic partner and an allied country," he added.
Prime Minister Erdogan thanked Prime Minister Blair for Britain's support to Turkey's EU process.
Blair has said that they should do everything in their power to put an end to the isolation against Turkish Cypriot people who supported United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan in the referendum on April 24, 2004.
Blair said that they would exert intense efforts together with the Turkish government and the other partners in the European Union (EU) to put an end to isolation against Turkish Cypriot people.
Noting that he meant commercial embargoes and direct flight restrictions, Blair said that they would take action to this end as soon as possible.
Referring to Turkey's EU process, Prime Minister Blair said that Britain wanted to see Turkey in the EU, and expressed Britain's support to Turkey's efforts in its EU membership process.
Referring to killing of U.S.-appointed Governing Council Chairman Abdel-Zahraa Othman, Prime Minister Blair told reporters, "the assassination today ... just underlines how important it is that we stay until the job is done. We will continue until the job is done in Iraq. Of course it is difficult, but the task of leadership when things get difficult is precisely not to cut and run but to face the difficulties and to overcome them."
Earlier in the day, Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council Chairman Abdel-Zahraa Othman, who was also known as Izzadine Saleem, was killed in a suicide attack.
"Our moral authority to continue is this: that before the war Saddam Hussein was in charge, brutalizing his people and destroying his country. We are trying to make that better with the support of the vast majority of Iraqi people. Every time there is a terrorist incident in Iraq or someone is assassinated, that to my mind is a reason for staying the course," he said.
Prime Minister Blair stressed, "we are not going to have any so-called quick exit, there will be no cutting and running in Iraq. We will continue until the job is done. Of course it is difficult, but the task of leadership when things get difficult is precisely not to cut and run but to face the difficulties and to overcome them."
Prime Minister Blair said that they should do everything in their power to put an end to the isolation against Turkish Cypriot people who supported United Nations Secretary General Annan's plan in the referendum on April 24, 2004.
He stressed that they would exert intense efforts together with the Turkish government and the other partners in the European Union (EU) to put an end to isolation against Turkish Cypriot people.
Referring to Turkey's EU process, Prime Minister Blair said that Britain wanted to see Turkey in the EU, and expressed Britain's support to Turkey's efforts in its EU membership process.
Recalling that Britain had always been among the countries supporting Turkey's EU membership process, Prime Minister Blair expressed his hope that the EU Commission would prepare a positive report about Turkey and the EU would take a decision in December to open accession talks with Turkey.
Blair stressed that it would be beneficial for both Turkey and Europe.
Referring to bilateral relations between Turkey and Britain, Prime Minister Blair said that that the two countries would maintain their close co-operation and joint efforts under the action plan, which was signed earlier in the day, in many fields including fight against terrorism.
Noting that the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Britain had been further increasing each year, Blair said that he would be pleased with coming to Istanbul to attend the NATO Summit in June.
When asked whether or not the mission in Iraq was successful, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "Turkey has been exerting efforts for foundation of a democratic republic of Iraq. We cannot say that situation is getting better in Iraq when we take into consideration the recent developments. Photographs published recently distressed British people, Turkish people and the whole humanity. It is impossible to defend them."
Stressing that some steps should be taken to form a democratic structure in Iraq, Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters, "serious problems have still been continuing in Iraq. Turkey will continue to support Iraqi people by sending humanitarian aid."
Erdogan expressed his wish that problems in Iraq would end as soon as possible and a democratic republic of Iraq would take its place among the other democracies in the world."
Upon another question, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "earlier, Turkey decided to send its soldiers to Iraq. However, we cancelled our decision upon request of the Iraqi people. Now, Turkey has been continuing to meet some requirements of the Iraqi people such as foodstuff, medicine, energy and water. Dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq does not take place on Turkey's agenda any longer."
Replying to a question about situation of coalition forces in Iraq, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "if we want to make a realistic assessment, we cannot say that developments were good. However, the coalition forces will act after assessing the negative developments and deciding their future steps."

(AA-UK) 17.05.2004