ANKARA - Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said on Wednesday, ''I am proud of statement of General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok about the Prime Ministry motion. I consider his statement very positive. This statement was very meaningful in regard to its timing.''
Arinc paid a visit to the Confederation of Turkish Labour Unions (Turk-Is) headquarters.
When asked by a journalist, ''General Ozkok said, 'if the National Security Council (NSC) had taken a recommendatory decision, it would have been considered a pressure on the parliament. We are in consensus of opinion with the government about the motion. We support it.' How do you assess this statement of General Ozkok?'' Arinc noted, ''I am proud of the statement of General Ozkok. I consider his statement very positive. This statement was very meaningful in regard to its timing.''
''I cannot assess the statement of General Ozkok. However, I want to stress that he summarized the current developments very well. If a fire breaks out in one of neighbors, how can we protect ourselves? Also, General Ozkok noted that the NSC could make recommendations to the government, not to the parliament. It is the expression of an understanding and stance we have been waiting for years. This statement means that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) does not approve any works to affect the political will. I am grateful to General Ozkok to this end,'' he noted.
Arinc underlined that any institution and organization should not behave in a recommendatory and pressing way other than the parliament.
Turkish Armed Forces put forth the best example of that, Arinc said.
Arinc noted that the Chief of General Staff said that the decision of the parliament should be respected.
''Yes, the motion could have been adopted, rejected, adopted by an amendment or no decision could have been made because majority was not ensured as happened in the voting. All of these are a decision of the parliament. Everybody should respect to this will whatever happens. It is very right for a chief of general staff to put forth all these issues,'' Arinc said.
Arinc noted, ''there is no doubt that the expression that 'they are of the same opinion with the government regarding this issue' should be evaluated within this framework. That is, Turkey's requirements were evaluated and a motion was prepared. The parliament put forth a will about making a positive or negative decision about this motion.''
The result of the voting on the motion ''saddened the circles which were named as war lobby'', Arinc said.
There were claims that stock exchange would fall, interest rates and U.S. dollar would increase, and Turkey would face an economic crisis after the decision on the motion, Arinc pointed out.
Arinc said, ''you see that it is not the end of the world. Even the stock exchange respected to the decision of the parliament.''
Stating that everything was on its normal course in Turkey, and that it would continue to be the same, Arinc said the government carried out its assignment with great responsibility.
Arinc said he, leaders of political parties, Deniz Baykal, the leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) stated that they respected will of Parliament. He said nobody should disrupt this positive atmosphere with some trivial and simple things.
Arinc expressed gratefulness to Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok due to his statements.
When a journalist said Gen. Ozkok stated that Turkey has two alternatives; the bad and the worse, and asked whether or not the Parliament took this message, Arinc said, ''of course, we all got the message. I think the Chief of General Staff stressed that, 'everything has a solution. We are at the office. The army will continue to show the sensitivity, which it has showed so far, in considering Turkey's defense and national interests.' I think this is the most meaningful message.''
Arinc said Turkey's fate and future does not depend on motions, stating that those who administer the country have a program against all the conditions of life. He said, ''there are some responsibilities which the Constitution gives us. This was one of the most important issues that the Chief of General Staff pointed out.''
(UK-BRC-AY-AÖ) 05.03.2003