Baykal Leaves For Italy

ISTANBUL - Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said on Friday, ''Turkey has taken some concrete steps about a possible military operation against Iraq. If Turkey will maintain cooperation about a possible operation against Iraq, the issue should be brought onto parliamentary agenda.''
Baykal left for Italy to attend meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES).
Addressing journalists at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport prior to his departure, Baykal said, ''a possible military operation against Iraq will cause Turkey to suffer a serious amount of loss. Such an operation should be prevented. There are two important developments about a possible military operation against Iraq. Firs of all, such an operation will cause Turkey to suffer a serious amount of loss. Therefore, it should be prevented. An important part of Turkish population is opposed to the operation. We all know that Turkey will pay the heaviest price in such an operation. The ideal solution for Turkey is prevention of the operation.''
''Second development is that we understood that Turkey has taken some concrete steps about a possible military operation against Iraq. The government has allowed U.S. experts to perform site survey in some bases and ports. Also, preparatory works have been continuing for a possible operation,'' he said.
Baykal said, ''it cannot be continued in such a way. One of those developments will dominate the situation. Turkey's contribution to that issue should be a prevention of a possible operation against Iraq.''
Stating that developments which would emerge from now on would require decision of the parliament, Baykal said, ''a further engagement is not possible legally without a decision of the parliament. If Turkey will continue its cooperation on a possible operation against Iraq in coming days, the issue would have to be taken up at the parliament.''
''A decision will have to be taken in coming days. We, as CHP, will explain that we don't find appropriate Turkey's involving in a war against Iraq and that's why the parliament should assume a definite attitude on that issue, if there is such a view,'' he noted.
He said that the government was acting in a confused attitude between two main issues and noted, ''on the one side, the government knows that Turkey will suffer a lot in case of a possible operation against Iraq. On the other side, it is continuing to take concrete steps in line with demands of the United States. It could not overcome this conflict. The issue should be taken up at the parliament to overcome this conflict. The parliament will take the most accurate decision on behalf of Turkey.''
Upon a question on the government's economy policy and relations with IMF, Baykal said that the government also had an instability related to its economy policy.
Stating that the government which assumed a confused attitude on relations with IMF in the beginning assumed an attitude compromising with IMF currently.