ISTANBUL - Terrorism should be responded, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
Erdogan addressed opening remarks of 75th Congress of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and 11th World Editors Forum (WEF) at the Lutfi Kirdar International Congress and Exhibition Center in Istanbul and then replied to questions of foreign editors.
When a Nigerian reporter recalled that those who were kept responsible for November terrorist attacks in Istanbul were being tried by State Security Court (DGM) the same day and asked if the Turkish government had launched an initiative to abolish those courts, Erdogan said, ''Turkey is very sensitive about terrorism because it has paid high costs. Terrorism claimed lives of around 40 thousand people in 1990s. Terrorism claimed not only Turkish citizens, but also foreigners and foreign mission chiefs in the terrorist attacks staged in Istanbul on November 15 and 20. These are really sorrowful for us. Therefore, terrorism should be responded. Terrorism is a phenomenon, when, where, how, why and whom it will hit is not certain. An international platform should be formed to counter terrorism. According to the principle of separation of powers, there is legislative, executive and judicial branches. We believe that terrorists should be punished in the heaviest way.''
Erdogan added, ''I want you to know that Turkey has abolished death penalty to adjust with the European Union (EU) acquis. But, we have zero tolerance towards violence. We continue our efforts. But, I can't know what kind of a process the judicial organ will follow and what it will do. It's the appreciation of the judicial organ.''
Istanbul suffered a series of devastating suicide truck bomb attacks targeting Neve Shalom Synagogue and Beth Israel Synagogue on November 15, 2003 and on HSBC Bank headquarters and British Consulate General in Istanbul on November 20, 2003 in which 61 people were killed and more than 700 people were injured. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for those attacks. Turkish police captured 69 people in connection with the suicide attacks.
Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) decided earlier in the day to suspend all the procedures in the lawsuit filed in connection with four devastating truck bomb attacks in Istanbul until the law on abolition of the DGMs enters into force.
(BRC-AÖ) 31.05.2004