NEW YORK - Turkish-U.S. relations can be shown as an example, Egemen Bagis, a MP from the Justice & Development Party (AKP), said on Monday.
Taking the floor in a panel discussion on Turkish-U.S. relations in New York, Bagis touched on developments regarding Iraq, and said, ''we share the same approach with the United States as regards to establish a stable and democratic Iraq, which has territorial integrity and political unity.''
Bagis noted that the presence of the terrorist organization PKK in the northern part of Iraq constitutes one of the main problems in Turkish-U.S. relations.
Noting that discrimination could not be accepted in fight against terrorism, Bagis said, ''what PKK means for Turkey is exactly what Zarqawi group or al-Qaeda mean for the United States. It is our most natural right to expect our closest ally to hand over PKK militant to Turkey, as countries like Syria and Iran, which had supported PKK for years, are doing today.''
Bagis stated that any step to be taken by the United States against the terrorist organization PKK would end the negative approach seen in Turkey against the policies of the U.S. administration.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the United States due in June would give message about friendly relations between the two countries, said Bagis.
''OUR RELATIONS WITH EU ARE NOT AN ALTERNATIVE''
Answering a question, Bagis said that Turkey's relations with the European Union (EU) were not an alternative to relations with the United States, but stressed that these relations complement each other.
Bagis underlined that Turkey's EU membership could bring a solution to the clash of civilizations, and said that the EU could give a wrong message to the Islam world if it did not admit Turkey after 41 years.
ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS
Upon a question on the so-called Armenian genocide allegations, Bagis criticized the adoption by several parliaments resolutions regarding this matter. ''As the politicians, we should try to determine the future, and leave the past to the historians,'' added Bagis.
BAGIS MEETS PRENDERGAST
Bagis, who later met Kieren Prendergast, the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told A.A correspondent that he expressed Turkey's hope that UN Secretary General (Kofi Annan) would launch a new initiative regarding Cyprus problem. ''He told me that a new dialogue would be launched between the parties in Cyprus,'' added Bagis.
-BAGIS PRESENTED WITH YOUNG LEADER AWARD-
On the other hand, it has been learned that Young Leader Award of 2005 would be presented to Bagis by the U.S. think-tank named ''Network 20/20'' on Wednesday.