Baykal: European Socialists Are Against War Toward Iraq

FLORENCE - Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said on Saturday that European Socialists were against war toward Iraq.
Baykal, who made an evaluation after participating in meeting of European Social Democrat Parties Union, pointed out that Europe opposed to war in Iraq in moral and humanitarian means.
''European socialists think just like us,'' Baykal said stating that almost all the participants opposed to military operation against Iraq, and stressed that the U.N. discussed whether or not a military operation would be legal after the second decision of the U.N. He said some of the participants defended the view that there was a double standard.
Stating that the European socialists wanted to know what kind of an attitude Turkey would assume with respect to its position in the region, Baykal said there were those who defend that Turkey would be directly affected by the war.
Baykal said, ''socialists say Saddam should be disarmed and should make cooperation with the U.N. However they oppose to the policy covered by the United States. There are also those who defend that mandate of the U.N. weapons inspectors should be extended. Although such kind of developments were carried out in full cooperation with the United States earlier, not that it is clear that Europe expresses the point where it opposes.
Baykal will leave for Rome to participate in Socialist International meetings on Sunday.