Grossman: Turkey Should Be Part Of E.S.D.P.

ANKARA (A.A) - 16.04.2002 - U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman said on Tuesday that a solution must be found between Turkey and EU about European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), adding that ''Turkey must be a part of ESDP.''
Grossman met with Ugur Ziyal, the Foreign Ministry Undersecretary the same day.
Responding to questions of journalists together with Grossman, Ugur Ziyal said that they consulted with Grossman about NATO.
''Our consultation carries importance as it is prior to the NATO Summit in Prague and foreign ministers meeting in Iceland,'' said Ziyal and noted that they focused on three main issues in the meeting.
''One of them is NATO's developing new capacities against new tactics following the September 11 terrorist attacks. We took up NATO expansion, NATO's relation with Russia and NATO's strengthening its relations with other countries within the scope of peace for partnership. Turkey and the U.S. share the opinion that NATO will also be one of the main pillars of security and stability in the coming century,'' Ziyal said.
Grossman said in his part that the U.S. has always had constructive consultations with its Turkish ally, adding that they discussed what NATO could achieve in NATO Summit in Prague with Ziyal.
Noting that he offered three proposals before the summit and the Turkish side was warm to these proposals, Grossman said that they also discussed the new methods in fight with terrorism and mass destruction weapons, expansion of NATO, and NATO's developing relations with Russia, Central Asia and Ukraine.
When asked if they discussed ESDP issue in the meeting, Ziyal said that ''there is nothing left to be spoken about it.'' Grossman said in his part that Turkey has to be part of ESDP.
The U.S. worked very hard with EU and Turkey about Ankara Agreement, said Grossman and noted that the U.S. hoped Turkey and the EU to reach an agreement on this issue as soon as possible. ''We want upgrading of EU's defense capacities and we want the solution to be acceptable by Turkey,' Grossman said.
Upon another question, Grossman said that the U.S. believed that NATO needed new capacities against new threats on NATO countries.
Grossman said that they also discussed mass destruction weapons, missile defense and biological weapons in the meeting.
Upon a question, Ziyal said that Turkey was in consensus of opinion with the U.S. in fight with terrorism and the need to develop certain new capacities to install and to keep peace in countries like Afghanistan.
Noting that they also took up the issue of mass destruction weapons, Ziyal said ''we share the same concern in this issue and we believe that this threat has to be prevented within the scope of the common defense system.''
Answering a question about NATO expansion, Ziyal said that Turkey favoured the most possible comprehensive expansion.
''The U.S. shares our view, but as Marc Grossman told, we don't invite our friends to a club, we call them to be our military allies. The necessities of being ally and devotion to NATO principles have to be taken as basis here. Certainly Turkey favours expansion of NATO, which played an active role in installation of stability and security in Europe to its own borders,'' Ziyal noted.