KARS - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Sunday that ''we are a nation which does not want war, but if it is necessary, we fight in the best way. But if it is not necessary, if it is in vain, or if only others want it, we don't take part in war.''
Addressing people in a public meeting held by his party in eastern Kars province, Ecevit said that his party would do his best to open the Georgian and Armenian border gates as soon as possible.
Ecevit said that the train between Erzurum-Kars provinces would be modernized, adding that the problems of Kars would be solved.
''I hope Democratic Left Party (DSP) would take part in the government in a stronger way after the elections. DSP has many things to do. Turkey needs a hardworking government,'' Ecevit said.
Referring to a possible operation against Iraq, Ecevit said that the Saddam regime in Iraq made big mistakes, it attempted to occupy Halabjah, it opened a war against Iran which continued for eight years and it attempted to occupy Kuwait and Iraq has turned into a country which causes suspicions in other countries.
''An order was brought to Iraq after the Kuwait war by the efforts of the U.S., western countries and particularly by Turkey. Therefore the Iraqi administration's hands were tied. Despite the embargoes on Iraq, the U.S. and particularly U.S. President George Bush openly said that the U.S. would start a military operation against Iraq. We are a peaceful country,'' Ecevit said.
When people started shouting ''We don't want war'', Ecevit encouraged them and said ''I hope your voice would be heard from the other side of the ocean.''
The prime minister said that Turkey could be drifted into a war if the United States decides to launch an operation without Turkey's approval.
''We're doing our best to make the United States not to start a military operation. The United States cannot do this so easily without Turkey's help. We don't want war but we can fight better than any other nation,'' he said.
''Turkey found itself in the middle of some unwanted situations and we don't want this to happen again. Briefly, we definitely do not want war on our soil. We want Turkey to be a land of peace for the entire world. We don't want war in any place in the world.''
Stating that Turkey wants to become a full EU member, Ecevit said ''This is our most natural right because we're Europeans for 600 years. Europe cannot develop if it shuts its doors to Turkey. They'll finally understand that they have to accept us to the union.'' Ecevit also indicated that the EU would not give Turkey membership if an anti-secularist party comes to power after elections.
Ecevit said that his party has become more powerful and consistent after some of its members resigned. ''I've been in politics for half a century. They don't need me anymore because the DSP has become Turkey's strongest and most consistent political party. I'm hoping that I'll leave my position to a successor who will be chosen by the party members and the DSP will continue ruling the nation. This is not a farewell speech because even if I'm not the leader, I will always be in the DSP and work for this party as long as God allows me to.''
State Ministers Mehmet Kocabatmaz, Erdogan Toprak and Culture Minister Suat Caglayan also spoke after Ecevit.