Yilmaz: Turkey Is Against Foundation Of Independent Kurdish State

ANKARA - Motherland Party (ANAP) leader, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yýlmaz said on Thursday that Turkey is against foundation of an independent Kurdish state as the existing status quo will be ruined and while it is being damaged, it will cause the formation of a new state based on ethnicity.
Responding to questions in a private tv channel CNN Turk, Yýlmaz said that all political parties have to overcome their domestic policies to integrate with the European Union (EU), adding that ''the party which will come out of the elections as the ruling one has to continue studies regarding the EU membership of Turkey.''
Yýlmaz stressed that the position and military power of the U.S. today is sufficient for itself to hit Iraq without any support of another country, adding that if this is the case, Turkey has two alternatives.
Yýlmaz said that Turkey can either just watch the operation and ensure its border security or it can take part in the operation, stressing that the first alternative won't bring anything to Turkey, rather it can bring risks. Yýlmaz stated that there can be some formations in Northern Iraq which can make Turkey uneasy and it can also cause the formation of a new independent state.
The violation of the Iraqi territorial integrity can bring risks for Turkey and the regional stability, Yýlmaz said, adding that if the U.S. intervenes in the region, this will cause a heavy economic loss for Turkey.
''If Turkey only watches the developments in the region, it won't have the chance to compensate its losses,'' Yýlmaz asserted.
Recalling that there is a significant number of Turkmens living in the region, Yýlmaz said that the people living there are the people who suffered the most from the Saddam cruelty. ''Humanitarian, economic and political reasons necessitate Turkey's having a special interest in the region, ''Yýlmaz said.
Yýlmaz said that Turkey won't save itself from having loss even if it watches such an operation, adding that U.S. President George W. Bush gave an important message in his last speech.
''Bush said 'if U.N. takes effective resolutions and if Iraq abides with them, there won't be need for us to intervene. He said this for the first time. I am still hopeful, I think if the Iraqi regime has some common sense it will benefit from this door opened to them,'' Yýlmaz said.
Yýlmaz said that Turkey is against the formation of an independent Kurdish state not only because Kurds there are founding their state; but ''with the foundation of an independent Kurdish state, the existing status quo will be spoiled and while it is being spoiled, it will cause the formation of a new state based on ethnicity. If ethnic differences are considered as a reason to form a separate state, this will be very harmful for Turkey beyond the context of its Kurdish citizens,'' Yýlmaz stressed.
''This is not an issue concerning only Turkey. A new formation in Iraq or in Middle East will also concern Iran, Syria and other regional countries. We can prevent it by protecting the status quo. Therefore, we stress on numerous occasions that Turkey, the United Nations and the United States are not in favor of a change in territorial integrity of Iraq. The matter is not a Kurdish state, but protection of the current status quo. The matter is foundation of a new and ethnic-based state. If ethnic background is considered a sufficient reason to found a new state, there are many different ethnic groups in Turkey. Will we give separate states to all of them? I am quite sure that such a scenario is against Turkey's interests. As a result, Turkey has been doing the best thing by opposing it,'' he said.
Underlining importance of protection of Iraq's territorial integrity, Yilmaz said, ''we will not raise our objections to a federation. However, Turkey will react harshly if one of the federate states in this federation claims Kirkuk and Mousul.''
''I do not expect developments in the region to affect general elections in Turkey. According to my view, an operation will not be launched before December,'' he said.
Yilmaz noted that the issue of Iraq had made relations between Turkey and the EU more difficult.
Referring to the Cyprus question, Yilmaz said, ''as of the Greek Cypriot side's membership to the EU, a situation that will not change the borders in Cyprus will not create any problem in relations with the EU. Acceptance of the Greek Cypriot side to the EU as the representative of the whole island, will be the worst scenario for Turkey. However, the EU will not do that because it is aware of the consequences. Such a development will lead total division of the island. It will also lead to tension in the island and cause serious problems in relations between Turkey and the EU. I think that the EU will not undertake such a responsibility at the Copenhagen Summit in December.''
''I think that the EU will accept full membership of the Greek Cypriot side, but the EU will do that by finding a reasonable solution against which Turkey will not uprise. Namely, a separate sovereignty will be in question in the northern part of the island. They can take a decision that northern part of Cyprus could become a part of the EU when a political solution was reached. The worst solution that can be accepted by Turkey, is the EU's setting a conditional date for beginning of the accession negotiations. I mean to say that the EU may tell Turkey that it will start accession negotiations at the end of 2003 after Turkey removed all its deficiencies,'' he added.