ANKARA - Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok hosted a reception on Friday in Gazi Officer's Club on the occasion of August 30 Victory Day.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller, Constitutional Court Chairman Mustafa Bumin, Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gruel, Gendarme General Commander Gen. Sener Eruygur, representatives of high jurisdiction organs, military officials, foreign mission chiefs, and representatives of various press institutions participated in the reception.
When Gen. Ozkok, the Chief of General Staff, was reminded of the views of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani about Northern Iraq, Gen. Ozkok said Barzani scolds from time to time and gave various messages, stressing that those were ''diplomatic intrigues''.
Responding to a question if there was military force in Northern Iraq belonging to Turkey, Gen. Ozkok said there were some military elements, yet noted that it would not be right for him to give information about the reason of the existence of those forces there. He said they were there for a specific goal.
When a reporter pointed out that general elections was approaching and that there was a busy agenda, Gen. Ozkok said, ''the agenda is always busy in Turkey.''
When asked whether or not separatist terrorism and fundamentalism changed its place in the Turkish Armed Forces' list of threat of toward integrity of the country and Republic, Gen. Ozkok said, ''there is threat, however threat will not be anymore threat if there is power. Fundamentalism and separatism exist since the Ottomans.'' Gen. Ozkok said they resembled to ''mushroms growing after rain''.
When stated that Iran opposed to the foundation of a Kurdish state, Gen. Ozkok said, ''if someone fights with your enemy, then there is no need to fight against it.'' Ozkok said neither Iran nor Syria wanted formation of such a state in that region.
Meanwhile, Land Forces Commander Gen. Aytac Yalman, when reminded November 3 elections and asked about his views, pointed out that he was indecisive, yet noted that he would cast his vote.
When reminded the statements of Barzani, Yalman said there was not any need to take them seriously, and noted that the groups in Northern Iraq were only tribes.
When reminded his contributions to the improvement of relations with Syria during his term in office as Gendarme General Commander, Gen. Yalman said relations accelerated in the recent period, stressing that he gained the confidence of the other side as he acted honestly.
Pointing out that Syria was a gate opening to Arab world of 350 million people, Gen. Yalman said various projects that would improve economic relations should be brought onto agenda.