ISTANBUL - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said on Thursday that missile attack on innocent people in Gaza was an inhumane incident.
Arinc, who attended the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in which parliament speakers of Council of Europe (COE) member countries participated in Strasbourg, returned to Turkey.
At Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Arinc told reporters that the missile attack on innocent people in Gaza was an unacceptable massacre and expressed sorrow over the incident.
Arinc said that such attacks on civilians were against international law and conventions.
''Although Israel faces many reactions from the world, it has demolished more than two thousand houses and killed more than three thousand civilians in four years. This is an incident which should harshly be condemned,'' Arinc stated.
Arinc said that Turkish parliament would hold a general debate on developments in the Middle East on May 25.
Recalling that eight parliamentarians who were members of Turkish-Palestinian Parliamentary Friendship Group were paying a visit to Palestine, Arinc said that Turkish parliamentarians were trying to show Turkish nation's solidarity with Palestinian nation in such a critical time.
Arinc stated that the resolution of the United Nations (UN) Security Council asking Israel to stop demolition of houses was not sufficient.
Noting that peaceful initiative could not be launched in anywhere in the world where there was bloodshed, Arinc said that those who wanted peace in the Middle East should immediately stop bloodshed and tears.
Arinc said that the United States would undertake important role in putting an end to Israel's attitude if it was the attitude of the United States which was encouraging Israel.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Arinc called on international community to condemn and prevent the massacre in the Middle East.
Arinc said that he delivered a speech on the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments sitting on ''how democratic is our democracy.''
Turkish Parliament Speaker Arinc said that he asked his interlocutors how they were acting when democratic ideals and political interests coincided.
''Here are three regions of crisis: Middle East, Caucasus and Balkans. People had serious sorrow in recent years. What were your attitude towards these incidents? Did you want democracy for every individual, attaching great importance to fundamental rights and human rights or did you condone many of these incidents for your political interests? I asked these questions to my interlocutors. This incident occurred one day after my speech. We will see how administrators will fulfil the requirement of being a human being against these incidents. I hope these agonies will end soon. And, we all be in peace and happiness in the Middle East or any other place in the world,'' Arinc added.
Arinc, who went to Strasbourg on Monday, attended on the same day the meeting of Athens Working Group which was formed by parliament speakers of European Union (EU) member and candidate countries. The theme of the parliamentary summit was ''Europe of citizens: parliaments and participation of citizens''.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who delivered a speech in the conference on Tuesday, said that ruling parties should always remember that they were representatives not only of majority that they represented, but also representatives of whole nation.
Arinc met with Greek Parliament Speaker Anna Psaruda-Benaki the same day and said that they wished to develop positive relations, which have been carried on between governments of Greece and Turkey, in parliaments of two countries as well.
Later on Tuesday, Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc requested Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) to lift screening process over Turkey in his meeting with COEPA President Peter Schieder.
Arinc also met with Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Arinc met with Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan. Bagdasaryan expressed Yerevan's will to hold diplomatic relations with Ankara again.
Arinc later met with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Vice President Jean Paul Costa and Turkish jurists at the ECHR. Number of Turkish people's applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had dropped, he said in these meetings.
(BRC) 20.05.2004