ANKARA - Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis, Foreign Ministry and General Staff officials briefed Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission on Iraq and Cyprus on Monday.
Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Mehmet Dulger said that Turkey would wait for final report which would be presented by the United Nations (U.N.) on Iraq and added that not February 28, but Thessaloniki Summit at which new members of the European Union (EU) would sign their accession documents was very important with respect to Cyprus issue.
Yakis, who attended the meeting following the briefing that was given by Foreign Ministry and General Staff officials, also gave a briefing which lasted for one hour and fifteen minutes to the commission.
After the meeting, Yakis answered questions of commission members.
Yakis said, ''some columnists write in their articles that Turkey has accounts to settle with Mousul and Kirkuk. I asked for bureaucrats to 'examine this issue'. All I have said is this.''
Sources said that Yakis used the same expressions about the issue in the commission and quoted Yakis as saying that a thought or preparation about ''a political action'' were out of question.
Dulger said that a war was one of possibilities in Iraq and noted that efforts to settle peace in Iraq continued.
Stating that the United States was determined to enter Iraq irrespective of there was a U.N. resolution or not, Dulger said that Turkey would wait for final report which would be presented by the U.N. on February 23.
Criticizing U.N.'s and NATO's remaining silent concerning developments in Iraq and the United States's attitude on the issue, Dulger said, ''we have not been created to die. It is not so easy to decide on bloodshed. Soldiers would die in the end. It is not such an easy decision.''
Dulger said that the Red Crescent expected 200,000 refugees to come from Iraq to Turkey in case of a possible war in the region.
Noting that it was understood that Turkish Armed Forces also took some lessons from Gulf War, Dulger said, ''General Staff is refraining from some terrorist elements that might infiltrate with refugees. Necessary measures will be taken related to the issue, of course.''
Dulger said that it was understood that nine separate maps were prepared about Cyprus in the U.N. in the beginning and that those were later reduced to two maps.
''Negotiations on U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan are being held by accepting it as a framework. They have not finished yet. It is not clear yet whether there would be a change in policy or not,'' he stated.
When recalled of that there was not much time left to February 28, Dulger said, ''reaching a result on the issue till February 28 is not obligatory. April is very important.''