Baykal: Show Has Come To An End On The Iraq Issue

ANKARA - Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said on Tuesday, ''Turkey could not display the necessary sensitivity about the Iraq issue and wasted its time. The show has come to an end now. We cannot expend any more efforts to deceive ourselves and others.''
Speaking at the CHP group meeting, Baykal said, ''a possible U.S.-led military operation against Iraq will play havoc with Iraq's territorial integrity. At the same time, such an operation will seriously jeopardize recent stability and peace in Turkey, which have been settled after a 15-year period of pains. Any official cannot assure us that weapons to be sent to Northern Iraq will remain in the region. These are not the issues which can be solved with intentions. These are dynamics of the history. We need peace. We need to prevent a possible war. We should develop our policy to this end.''
''The United States gives words and hope. It pledges to extend support to an appropriate solution. But, the show has come to an end now. We cannot expend any more efforts to deceive ourselves and others. Now, we should face with the bitter reality. It is not possible to correct the mistake, which was made at Washington's Imperial Hotel, at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace. No one can remove drawbacks of the compromise, which was reached between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) officials and U.S. military and political officials at the Imperial Hotel, by holding a meeting at the Ciragan Palace with the participation of foreign ministers of the regional countries,'' he noted.
Baykal said, ''you cannot camouflage your mistake you made during your meeting with Bush at the White House in Washington by your meeting with foreign ministers of neighboring Arab countries. It is possible to perceive these as good willed efforts. Maybe, this is the situation according to members of the ruling in a certain extent. I can sincerely accept that some assume such an understanding. But, when administering a country, you cannot say that I knock on that door with good will. Mistakes have been made. Parliament will be called on to make a decision about cooperation with the United States in coming days. What an important development!''
Parliament was facing a historical week, Baykal noted. He said that this week's initiatives of parliament would deeply affect future of Turkey and the region.
Baykal stated that important decisions would be made and continued, ''Turkey is on the threshold of an historical turning point. Parliament is face to face with an important duty in this critical period.''
''As CHP, we will exert efforts to contribute to formation of basic preferences which will take under guarantee future of our country, interests of our people, tranquility, stability and peace of our region,'' said Baykal.
Baykal noted, ''it is the end of the show now. Now, we are face to face with realities.''
The government had seen the situation finally, Baykal said.
Baykal pointed out that they thought that Turkey had to regard laws and legitimacy in international relations.
They wanted to clearly see what was right and what was wrong, Baykal said. He noted that law would help them see that.
Turkey would live in tranquility in its region if what was wrong and what was right were shown on a strong basis, Baykal stated.
Baykal said that if the right and wrong things were determined by individual decisions, discretionary preferences and some countries' own understandings instead of laws, it would be very difficult to keep in step with that situation.
Noting that Turkey did not have its eye on other countries' lands and sovereignty, Baykal said that they would like to improve and protect development, peace, superiority of laws, equality, freedom, prosperity, social justice and national honor within the limits of National Pact.
Baykal said that a military operation against Iraq's territorial integrity would negatively influence the geography where Turkey was also included for decades. He added that some countries could have convincing expressions that they would protect territorial integrity of Iraq, however dynamics of history would shape the future of region, not the statements of countries.
Noting that a state formation which had the deficiency of international recognition appeared in northern Iraq, Baykal said that this could be solved in an appropriate conjuncture. He added that Iraq came to a separation point and only one step left for reality. He said that if northern front was opened, a strong state would be formed in Iraq and serious developments would happen in the region.
Baykal: Turkey's sending soldiers to Northern Iraq is an unavoidable necessity
The government and AK Party administrators used the words of rules of international law and legitimacy to date regarding a possible U.S.-Iraq war, Baykal said that ''if you say these words, you have to wait; if you do not, nobody believes in your words.''
Baykal said that the legitimacy of U.S.'s launching a military operation against Iraq had not been formed yet, adding that such an operation did not have political and ethical legitimacy.
Baykal said he was worried for Turkey where the adoption of a decision at the parliament about the developments in Iraq without waiting for the resolution of the U.N. Security Council was on the agenda.
''A possible war is presented to us as if it is a responsibility of being an ally of the U.S. We see that the government has the view that the relations with the U.S. can be damaged if we don't do the things that are told to us. Relations with big states are very difficult and sensitive. The thing that must be done is to act honestly in relations with these countries. We must be honest in giving promises to them, but it is seen that big mistakes are done in the relations with the U.S. No matter how much this war is presented as if it is a war against Saddam, it will turn into a fight against Iraq and Arabs in the end. Iraq and the Arab nation will assess this operation against themselves. A fight can be won by missiles, an administration can be overthrown by war, yet you can't found an administration with missiles. You can form an administration, but that administration can't be the government of the Iraqi people. After a certain period of time, the U.S. will leave the region, but we are here and we want to remain as friends with our friends.''
''We can remain a friend of the U.S. without saying 'yes' to everything which the U.S. wants. There is a limit of acceptable things and everybody should know that line,'' he said.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Gul yesterday, they evaluated the developments in Iraq and that Gul informed him about the issue, Baykal said, noting that the government is at a critical decision-taking stage and that the motion about the decision can be submitted to the parliament on Thursday.
Baykal said that the attitude of CHP about the issue was clear, adding ''if a big operation is staged against Iraq, this will trigger spreading of many negative developments in Northern Iraq into Turkey. In this context, Turkey's sending soldiers to Northern Iraq is an unavoidable necessity. This initiative should not be considered as an occupation, or an attempt of overthrowing Saddam and Iraqi administration. Turkey will enter there not permanently, but to prevent the negative repercussions on itself. The U.S. soldiers on the other hand will go to Iraq via Turkey to change the order and administration in Iraq. These two are separate issues. It is wrong to cover these two separate things under one motion, and it can't be accepted. I told this to Mr. Prime Minister and he said we were right. I hope two different motions would be submitted to the parliament. The government can present either a separate motion about the bases or bring it together with the demand of asking permission for passage of U.S. soldiers. This is their own choice.''
Baykal said that Article 92 of the Constitution started as ''the power to authorize the declaration of a state of war in cases deemed legitimate by international law'', adding that ''do we accept this fight as such now? If we don't, why do we bring the issue to the parliament for taking a decision now? You can't govern the state and government in this way.''