Deputy Chief Of Turkish General Staff On Cooperation Against Terrorism

ANKARA - Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Ergun Saygun said Tuesday it was obvious that the main setback in the fight against terrorism did not stem from the lack of international legal arrangements.
"The major setback is the failure to reflect the international political will upon national legal systems," Gen. Saygun told an Ankara symposium on "Global Terrorism and International Cooperation."
Saygun stated that "the lack of an international common understanding on terrorism" cannot be accepted as a "pretext" for avoiding to fight against terrorism.
"No one doubts that there is a need for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism which has gained a global dimension," he said.
Saygun recalled that several UN resolutions obliged countries to participate in efforts to prevent terrorism and its support, adding that NATO allies have also agreed to develop intelligence sharing and cooperation, and help members handle terrorist threats.
Saygun also cited the terrorist organization PKK/KONGRA-GEL as "an equal threat" for the international community as well.
"Certain European countries have gone beyond allowing press and media outlets of the terrorist organization to find shelter and actually supporting the terrorist group, they continue to condone and tolerate actions that encourage terrorism," Saygun said.
Turkey has always paid attention to the line between its people and terrorists, Gen. Saygun noted.
Turkey has avoided all acts and expressions that would cause different interpretations of its struggle against terror, Gen. Saygun indicated.
Turkey has never seen any one as a potential terrorist, Gen. Saygun stressed.
"The terrorist organization has an annual income of around 400-500 million euros. 200-250 million euros come from drug trafficking. 100-150 million euros come from smuggling illegal materials. 15-20 million euros come from donations and 20-25 million euros come from other activities," Gen. Saygun stressed.
The terrorist organization supplies arms and weapons to not only its members but also other terrorists around the globe, Gen. Saygun remarked.
As noted in reports prepared by the United Nations and other international organizations, the terrorist organization takes away children from families and pass these children through ideological and armed training, Gen. Saygun told.
"Turkey has been fighting against terror for decades and it is one of the countries that have gone through difficult times due to terror acts. I hope that the issues we discussed in the second "Global Terrorism and International Cooperation" symposium will contribute to global action against terrorism," Gen. Saygun also said.
Following Gen. Saygun's speech, Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit presented certificates to the participants of the symposium in Ankara.
(YMB-SOL-MS)