ANKARA (A.A) - 16.07.2002 - True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said on Monday night that her party was ready to support EU membership of Turkey, adding that ''we'll extend unconditional support to the government about EU issue.''
Responding to questions at a tv programme, Ciller said that she didn't know the date of a possible U.S. intervention in Iraq.
''A person who wants to govern a country does not say that he/she wants war or quake. You don't want them, but they happen. We must ready for them,'' Ciller said.
Claiming that the existing government can't deal with such an operation, Ciller said that ''I don't know if such an operation will take place. There is no such decision, but the U.S. has such resolution. This region is very close to Turkey, and it will affect Turkey the most.''
Asserting that there should be a strong political resolution in Turkey, Ciller commented that Turkey has to integrate with its neighbours and at the same time it should provide lasting peace in the region. Ciller stressed that she wanted to become the prime minister in Turkey during such an operation in order to show the truth to the U.S. and prevent the latter from making a mistake. ''We seek this mission for peace, not for fight,'' she said.