ISTANBUL - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that NATO was an organization which renovated itself, stating that, ``our Alliance welcomes 21st century strongly and with self-confidence.``
Erdogan attended a conference ``The New Atlantic Alliance At a New Crossroads`` jointly organized by Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and U.S. think-tank organization German Marshall Fund.
Erdogan said the alliance members, who would meet in Istanbul, would give a direction to the new contents of the Alliance.
Erdogan said taking a glance at the agenda topics of the conference would be enough to understand the transformation the alliance was going through.
``Today, we are not only talking about an alliance which preserved European democracies and turned defense a joint effort, but at the same time we are talking about a NATO which opened ways for European integration, brought stability to Balkans, and supported stability and security of Afghanistan which is at a different continent. We are talking about an alliance which has a cooperation network extending from North Africa to Eurasia, which proposes cooperation to Mediterranean countries, and improves special relations with Russia and Ukraine,`` Erdogan said.
Erdogan said Turkey`s geo-strategic location, its point of view and the evolution it has been going through progressed in parallel with the transformation process of NATO.
Erdogan said this wide geography should not only be considered with respect to new and asymmetric security risks, stating that the regions in question have a potential to make a very big contribution to the global prosperity and welfare in case the political conflicts can be overcome and in case stability is strengthened.
Erdogan said Turkey, being aware of this, undertook a mission in this geography to spread stability, and noted that acting on this mission, Turkey encouraged solution of bilateral and regional problems.
Erdogan said Turkey extended helping hand to countries which were devastated because of clashes and wars.
Erdogan said Turkey`s membership to the European Union (EU) would be beneficial, stating that this would also be beneficial for Atlantic Alliance.
Stressing that Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting held in Istanbul last week was the most concrete sign of this, Erdogan said one of the most important results of the meeting was appointment of Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as OIC`s Secretary General.
Erdogan said he believed that OIC would progress toward being a positive power in international platform under the guide of Ihsanoglu and with the support of Turkey.
Prime Minister Erdogan said NATO should continue its open gate policy, stating that this was not a preference but an obligation.
Erdogan said Turkey would continue to expend any kind of support for the success of Atlantic Alliance in every mission it has undertaken and it would undertake in the future.
Erdogan said, ``NATO`s open gate policy should continue. The message we will give to Albania, Macedonia and Croatia in Istanbul should be open and encouraging. Success of enlargement policy of the alliance in fact depends of the success of partnership relations. Partnership relations at the same time forms the key of opening of NATO to Eurasia geography. Thus, we attribute importance to strengthening of this policy in the coming period.``
Erdogan said Turkey approached to the partners of the Alliance in the Middle East with the same understanding, stressing that strengthened Mediterranean dialogue and Istanbul cooperation initiative would be important means toward this target.
Erdogan said Turkey would be involved in and support initiatives which will contribute to the stability and welfare of the Middle East.
``Determination of transatlantic community to fight against terrorism should continue. We are all obliged to form a international joint platform to fight against international terrorism. Afghanistan is the most important examination in front of the alliance in this respect. International community, and particularly NATO does not have any alternative but being successful in Afghanistan,`` Erdogan said.
Erdogan said possible security risks which may stem from Iraq firstly could be overcome through regional cooperation, adding that, ``in fact necessary basis and mechanisms exist for this. Naturally, applying to help of NATO and some other facilities would be necessary in case mobilization of regional facilities are not enough to overcome the risks and threats. He said peace and stability should be restored in Iraq.
(AY) 26.06.2004