ANTALYA - Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said on Tuesday that terrorism was the biggest threat for global peace and security in the age of globalization.
Speaking at the "Silk Road 2008 General/Admiral Seminar" held in Mediterranean province of Antalya, Buyukanit said it was impossible to counter terrorism in national level with national policies.
"International cooperation has become the sine qua non for the fight against terrorism," Buyukanit told commanders from several countries.
"I think we all agree that terrorism is the most serious sickness of the 21st century although we could not make a common definition of it," he said.
Buyukanit said none of the terrorism types could be considered legitimate, no matter which ideologies they advocate.
"More than that, even tendencies close to legitimize terrorism are unacceptable," he stated.
Buyukanit said efforts in diplomacy, intelligence, economy, finance, information and law were also important as much as military methods in fight against terrorism, since terrorist organizations were acting like international crime organizations with their criminal acts such as, illicit drug and human trafficking, money laundering, racket collecting, bootlegging and kidnapping for ransom.
"For instance, the terrorist organization PKK/Kongra-Gel is responsible for the 80 percent of heroin smuggled into Europe, extortion in several European countries, or even running guns to terrorist organization Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. These are all meaningful in terms of showing the activities of terrorist organizations in international level," he said.
Buyukanit also said that another security threat emerged in the 21st century was the energy security, reminding that oil and natural gas were the most traded natural resources in today's world.
"Energy security, economic security and national security are inseparable notions," he said. "Countries having energy resources should not use their advantage as an element of oppression on other countries."
Recalling that Turkey is located between major energy supply and demand hubs, Buyukanit said implementation of ongoing pipeline projects such as, South Stream, Caspian Line, White Stream and Nabucco, would depend on mutual solidarity and trust among all involved countries.
(TÇ-MS)
(GEN)