MILLIYET- Columnist Fikret Bila comments on Prime Minister Abdullah Gul’s meeting yesterday with Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. A summary of his column is as follows:
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul is one by one taking steps which have been planned out before. Ankara has been following the path that was laid down during last week’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting and so is planning to meet the US’ expectations of it in stages. Gul yesterday told People’s Republican Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal what sort of path he’s planning to follow. Today a second step will be taken as Gul briefs the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) parliamentary group. After the US presents its evidence on Iraq’s alleged violations to the United Nations tomorrow, Parliament’s authorization will be requested for upgrades on our airbases and ports. The decisions about sending soldiers abroad and stationing foreign soldiers here will be made following the Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayram) holiday. The second report due from UN weapons inspectors on Feb. 14 is being awaited so that information concerning this issue can be sent to the Parliament.
During Gul’s meeting with Baykal yesterday, the CHP leader laid out his party’s stance, saying that he was against stationing foreign soldiers in Turkey. Baykal reportedly told Gul that he would support sending Turkish soldiers abroad but not a proposal to allow US soldiers to be stationed in Turkey. Therefore Baykal asked Gul to bring these issues before Parliament in separate proposals. Baykal told Gul that if the matters are contained in a single proposal then the CHP would oppose this. Explaining why he’s against stationing foreign soldiers, Baykal said, ‘If Turkish soldiers go abroad to protect Turkey’s interests, of course we would support this. However, we can’t approve of foreign soldiers coming to Turkish soil and then proceeding to war. If we supported this, then people would get the idea that Turkey is entering a war with the US. In addition, Turkey would become a country in the frontlines of a possible war against Iraq, but Turkey has no such a war.’
Gul didn’t turn aside Baykal’s suggestions. Gul also favors taking steps one by one. He thinks that the Parliament should make its decisions in stages in order to be able to evaluate developments day by day. However, if circumstances suddenly and drastically change, then he might take more rapid steps. On the one hand, Gul will take steps in line with the military option, complying with the NSC, the General Staff, Foreign Ministry and the main opposition, and on the other, he will continue his search for a peaceful solution. He also wants to try this again in Europe. If the circumstances are appropriate, Gul will take steps in this direction as well.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION