ISTANBUL - Turkish General Staff Deputy Chief General Ilker Basbug has said, ''in line with Turkey's security requirements, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) units will stay in the region as long as presence of the terrorist organization in northern Iraq continues.''
Speaking at a symposium held by the General Staff Department of Military History and Strategic Studies in Istanbul on ''Regions of Crisis from the Perspective of Turkey, NATO and European Union (EU) and Their Impacts on Turkey's Security'', General Basbug said on Thursday, ''separatist terrorism has still been posing threat both in Turkey and abroad. Therefore, TSK has been maintaining its presence in northern part of Iraq. In line with Turkey's security requirements, TSK units will stay in the region as long as presence of the terrorist organization in northern Iraq continues. It has been observed that the United States could not stage an active and apparent activity against such terrorist elements so far.''
''A common approach and co-operation between the United States and Europe are required to find long-term, valid and lasting solutions to Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Iraq and Afghanistan under efforts to maintain international fight against terrorism in an effective way,'' he said.
General Basbug added, ''I hope that NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul in June will play a historic role to this end. Turkey fulfils its responsibilities to find solutions to those problems in co-operation in line with Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's principle 'peace at home, peace in the world'. We should remember that global peace and security will be provided either in the whole world or nowhere.''
(UK-AÖ) 27.05.2004