United States Does Not Plan Requesting Amendment To Montreux Convention

ANKARA - A top U.S. general said on Monday that the United States did not plan requesting an amendment to the Montreux Convention.
Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a press conference in the Turkish capital of Ankara that the U.S. ships had totally abided by the convention, and would continue to act within the framework of the convention.
The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Turkish Straits was a 1936 agreement that gives Turkey control over the Istanbul and Canakkale straits and regulates military activity in the region. Signed on 20 July 1936, it permitted Turkey to remilitarise the Straits and imposed new restrictions on the passage of combatant vessels.
The Convention gives Turkey full control over the Straits and guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime. It severely restricts the passage of non-Turkish military vessels and prohibits some types of warships, such as aircraft carriers, from passing through the Straits.
The U.S. admiral said that all U.S. ships carried humanitarian aid to Georgia, and told reporters that military ships, not civilian ships, were used because they had to take action urgently due to the crisis and only military ships were ready at that time.
Mullen said that the United States had earlier used ships of the U.S. Navy for humanitarian aid, and gave the assistance made during the tsunami disaster in Indonesia in 2004 as an example.
The U.S. admiral said that this was his first visit to Turkey as the joint chiefs of staff, and General Ilker Basbug, the Turkish Chief of General Staff, hosted him for the first time as he was also designated for this position recently.
Mullen said that Turkey was situated in a very critical region, and he discussed with Basbug many military issues, particulary the fight against the terrorist organization PKK.
The U.S. admiral expressed his country's determination to counter PKK terrorism, and reiterated that two countries would continue to share intelligence regarding the matter.
Admiral Mullen underlined Turkish-U.S. cooperation in military issues, and said that two countries had common interests.
Mullen said that the United States had no special request from Turkey regarding Iraq, and said that it was the Turkish government's decision to set a policy regarding a motion that enabled cross-border operation.
There were some problems in the north of Iraq, and two countries had to cooperate to deal with those problems, he also said.
Mullen said that a peaceful solution that would preserve Iraq's integrity should be found.
Admiral Mullen expressed his country's gratitude for Turkey's support for Afghanistan and said that two countries should continue to cooperate in Afghanistan in the long term.
On Georgia's possible NATO membership, Mullen said that Georgia was a country progressing on the road to become a NATO member, however this path might be a long one.
In case Georgia became a NATO member, a collective defense would naturally be made under the rules of the alliance, Mullen said.
Mullen also said that the alliance would intervene within the scope of rules in such a case.
The U.S. admiral expressed concern over Russia's occupation of Georgian territories, and expressed wish that Russia would never raid on any other country or occupy the territories of any other country.
(BRC)
(MIL)