NEW DELHI - Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said on Tuesday that he thought a U.S. military operation against Iraq would give damage to Turkey, stressing that, ''we don't want this''.
Arinc met with editors of leading newspapers in India.
Responding to the questions of reporters regaded with possible U.S. operation against Iraq, Arinc said Turkey wished solution of the problem through peaceful means. He said Turkey welcomed Iraq's attitude in opening its gates to the U.N. weapon inspectors.
Arinc said, ''we think that mass destruction weapons should be inspected in all means, and that Iraq should be purified from mass destruction weapons. However, we also think that any military operation that would be launched by the United States would give damage to Turkey and we don't want this. Such an operation will pave ways to dangerous results for Turkey's security, economy and foreign policy. Turkey suffered approximately 100 billion U.S. dollars after 1991 Gulf War.''
Arinc said Turkey favored Iraq's territorial integrity and its Turkey's wish to obtain a result without an operation.
When he was reminded about the comments that some European Union (EU) countries did not want Turkey since it was a Muslim country, Arinc said, ''the majority of Turkish people is Muslim but, the state has adopted secularism as a living standard and an administration type. Turkish people have adopted secular living style at great extent and are living accordingly.''
Responding to questions of Indian reporters about prime ministry of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Arinc said that ''Erdogan could probably be elected as a deputy in the by-elections to be held in southeastern Siirt province and could become the prime minister.
Arinc noted that the government would change in Turkey after Erdogan was elected as deputy.
Upon questions of Indian reporters related with Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization, Arinc said that Ocalan was serving his sentence in Imrali prison.
Noting that Turkey abolished death sentence, Arinc said that Ocalan and his friends were sentenced to heavy life imprisonment.