ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that Straits would not be closed under the security measures which were taken for NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul.
Upon a question while leaving Foreign Ministry, Gul said that he informed Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission about recent foreign policy issues yesterday and added that news in press organs regarding the issues which were taken during the meeting were not true and he was distressed with that.
Noting that closure of Straits, as claimed in press organs, was out of question, Gul said that Montreux Convention was valid. Recalling that NATO meeting would be an important summit, Gul said that security measures and arrangements would be made and added that those were technical issues.
Gul said that claims such as ''straits will be closed and things violating Montreux Convention are made'' were not true.
Gul released a written statement regarding the issue and said that he was distressed with the wrong and distorted news regarding the issue in the press. He added that he felt sorry that the special information, which he gave during the meeting that was closed to press, was leaked in a distorted, deficient and wrong way to press.
The Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government will be held in Istanbul between June 27 and 29.
(GC-AÖ) 11.06.2004