Ecevit: U.S. Should Launch Efforts Without Losing Any Time In Order To Overcome Obsession Of Sharon Administration

ANKARA (A.A) - O4.04.2002 - Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called on the United States to launch efforts decisively, efficiently and without losing any time in order to ''overcome obsession of Sharon administration.''
Speaking at the group meeting of his party, Ecevit touched on the escalating tension in the Middle East.
Ecevit said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon opened war against Palestine at the beginning of December and reiterated the word ''war'' continuously.
When he complained about it, Ecevit said, Sharon's spokesman denied ''war.''
Ecevit noted that war actually started those days and now, Sharon officially declared war against Palestine.
Prime Minister Ecevit said, ''when I said that Sharon had decided to annihilate Yasser Arafat by basing on one of our phone talk at the beginning of December, some circles told me that I was wrong and claimed that Sharon did not have such an intention. However, Sharon's this intention has obviously been put forth. It is even put to implementation.''
Ecevit added, ''Yasser Arafat is now a captive of the Israeli soldiers. He will either be an exile or be killed. Not only Yasser Arafat, but also all Palestinian state is being annihilated step by step. A genocide is being made against Palestinian people in front of the eyes of whole world.''
Israeli administration challenged the resolutions of the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council, Ecevit stated.
Ecevit pointed out that the Israeli administration was not the only side responsible for this situation and said that radical elements which were in Palestine and which turned ''children of intifada'' into live bombs were also responsible.
Some Arab elements did not want a Palestinian state in fact although they seemed that they were beside Palestine, Ecevit said.
Ecevit went on saying, ''because, real Palestinian people other than the radical elements backed by other countries are inclined to democracy, modernism and secularism. Some out-of-time elements in Arab world are feared that Palestinian people who gain their independence and settle tranquility, will become an example for their own people. If Israeli administration perceives this reality, it can spoil the intrigues of radical Arab elements.''
Prime Minister Ecevit said that the dispute could be solved if Israeli administration left aside its insistence that ''firstly, full tranquility should be maintained'', if it sat on a peace table with Palestine under the leadership of Arafat, and if it reached a fair compromise with Palestine.
Ecevit said that thus, the radical elements would see that they could not reach a result in their actions.
''We are suggesting dialogue and peace to both of the sides for months. We are calling Sharon and Arafat to a tete-a-tete meeting in Turkey, or any other place which is away from other people and circles. Arafat was giving a positive response to our calls. Sharon was saying that he would accept these calls but, the settlement of full tranquility was the condition. However, this attitude is not realistic. Now, ties have broken. Sharon administration chose war and occupation, not dialogue and peace. The United States should launch efforts decisively, efficiently and without losing more time in order to overcome obsession of Sharon administration,'' Ecevit said.
Ecevit warned that if this was not made, even if the administrations of regional countries managed things, people of all Arab countries would rush into streets, Islam radicalism would start to escale and East-West disagreement could not be prevented.
''And, organs and circles similar to bin Laden and al-Qaeda would face unexpected opportunities. Turkey, together with all our region and even all the world, will face the agony,'' Ecevit said.
Ecevit called on the United States to exert all efforts rapidly in order to prevent this negative situation and said that Turkey would do its best to bring peace in the Middle East.