ANKARA - Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said Monday terrorist organizations pursue their efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.
"Even though they are using light weapons and hand-made explosives that are easily acquired in their attacks, terrorist organizations continue their efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction," Buyukanit told the Global Terrorism & International Cooperation Symposium at Ankara's Bilkent Hotel.
Buyukanit said arms production and circulation is a factor that has a role in spreading of global terrorism.
"Today only 40 percent of light weapons in the world -- the total number of which we predict as 700 million -- is in the hands of the security forces," he told.
Gen. Buyukanit said if terrorist organizations acquire weapons of mass destruction, they will have a great advantage in achieving their goals.
-PAKISTAN AND A-BOMB-
Concerning developments in Pakistan, Buyukanit said, "I hope Pakistan will reach stability as soon as possible, and we should extend every kind of support to them."
"Otherwise, if the administration is rendered ineffective in one way, a structure like Taliban may control Pakistan, and this is a possibility," he told.
Gen. Buyukanit said, "(if this happen) the world will come face to face with a terrorist organization having a nuclear power at its disposal, for the first time."
On the other hand, Buyukanit said scientific and technological developments have an important impact on global terrorism.
Terrorist organizations are also using various communication means and poisoning international public with biased information, he also said.
(BRC-ULG)