Mercan: We Still Have The Chance To Find A Peaceful Solution To Iraq Issue

STRASBOURG - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) Turkish Delegation Chairman Murat Mercan said on Thursday, ''we still have the chance to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue.''
Speaking at a session in the COEPA on the Iraq issue, Mercan said, ''the diplomatic efforts that aim to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue have not exhausted yet. An operation which does not have any international legitimacy, will bring forth serious problems in regard to political honesty and moral rightfulness. Such an operation will lead to undesirable problems. Waging a war against Iraq will affect the global system. A possible operation concerns not only regional countries but also the whole world.''
Mercan, who also serves as a deputy of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), stressed, ''everyone should expend efforts to prevent a possible war.''
He recalled that Prime Minister Abdullah Gul had paid visits to regional countries, and that a meeting had been held in Istanbul with the participation of foreign ministers of five regional countries.
Mercan noted that Iraq should also fulfill its responsibilities to prevent a war.
Meanwhile, the COEPA ruled that a war against Iraq under existing conditions was not legitimate.