Gul: We Hope That Iraq Issue Will Be Resolved Peacefully

ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Saturday, ''the Prime Ministry Crisis Management Center and the Regional Crisis Management Center will coordinate humanitarian aid in flow of refugees into Turkey in a possible military operation against Iraq. We hope that the Iraq issue will be resolved peacefully and no one will migrate. However, we should take all necessary measures against the worst scenarios.''
Responding questions of journalists following the meeting, which was held on measures to be taken to prevent flow of refugees into Turkey in a possible military operation against Iraq, Prime Minister Gul said, ''on one hand, we have been expending efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue and on the other, we have been taking measures against the worst developments.''
''Our government is obliged to prepare itself against the worst scenarios in accordance with the Constitution. During the Gulf War, Turkey experienced a flow of Iraqi refugees. The Prime Ministry Crisis Management Center and Regional Crisis Management Center will coordinate humanitarian aid in flow of refugees into Turkey in a possible military operation against Iraq. State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin will be in charge of coordination of humanitarian aid. We hope that the Iraq issue will be resolved peacefully and no one will migrate. However, we should take all necessary measures against the worst scenarios,'' he emphasized.

GUL GIVES INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT INITIATIVES FOR PROTECTION OF TURKISH CULTURAL INHERITANCE IN IRAQ
ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul gave instructions about initiatives in relevant institutions and states for protection of Turkish cultural inheritance in Iraq during a possible war.
Releasing a statement, the Prime Ministry Press Center said on Saturday, ''it was decided to launch initiatives in relevant institutions and states in order to protect Turkish cultural inheritance in Iraq during a possible war. Under directives of Prime Minister Gul, the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad and Turkish officials collected information about Ottoman and Turkish historical works and Turkish cultural inheritance in Iraq. This information has been conveyed to Turkish representations abroad.''
''The Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. has launched initiatives in the U.S. State Department about protection of all historical works and cultural inheritance in Iraq. U.S. officials said that they were sensitive about protection of cultural inheritance and that the Pentagon had been carrying out works to this end,'' it said.
''Meanwhile, Culture Minister Huseyin Celik wrote a letter to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Koichiro Matsuura. In his letter, Celik highlighted the importance attributed by Turkey to protection of cultural inheritance. Cetin invited Matsuura to call on all sides to take necessary measures to protect cultural inheritance in line with commitments stemming from the Hague Convention of 1954,'' the statement added.