ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday, ''if the Prime Ministry motion on dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad and deployment of foreign armed forces in Turkey is brought onto parliamentary agenda again, it should be approved.''
Speaking at a program on the private NTV Channel, Prime Minister Gul said, ''I did not say that a group decision will be taken. We can act upon the desire of majority of the group. We will see the developments in coming days. After the new government is formed, all these issues will be assessed.''
When asked, ''the date of March 17 was mentioned for beginning of a possible U.S.-led military action against Iraq. Will the parliament debate the second motion before or after March 17?'' Prime Minister Gul said, ''we should follow the United Nations process carefully. If the Prime Ministry motion on dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad and deployment of foreign armed forces in Turkey is brought onto parliamentary agenda again, it should be approved. Therefore, we should act carefully about this risk.''
When asked ''According to claims, U.S. soldiers were transferred to border from Iskenderun and Mersin ports. There is a discussion like 'authority has been exceeded'. Do you think that the authority is exceeded?'' Gul said that there was nothing which was against the agreements at the moment and he added that no combatant force came to Turkey and they could not pass Iraq via Turkey, saying that departure and arrival of some vehicles were normal.
Upon a question why second motion was not submitted, Gul said that it was not possible to tell what would happen in the future and added that Parliament would decide this.
When asked what Turkey's role would be in the future of Iraq, Gul said that Turkey attributed importance in providing the territorial integrity of Iraq and added that the United States also committed to this.
Noting that territorial integrity of Iraq would be protected now, Gul said, ''we cannot know if other de facto conditions emerge in the future. That's why, we say Turkey cannot remain out of it. If a war that we may prevent in regard to our national interests is not in question, Turkey cannot stay there doing nothing. If there will be a war, what kind of Iraq will emerge; there are some uncertainties about it.''
''It is told that days are counted for the operation. And you tell that uncertainty continues. Is this normal?'' asked the journalist to Gul who said that it was not Turkey which would start the fight. ''Therefore, it is not possible for me to know all the details regarding a possible war,'' he said.
When asked about the developments regarding the issue of taking back the weapons to be given to Kurdish groups in Northern Iraq, Gul said that the sides reached a certain stage as a result of meetings in military field and certain agreements were in question.
''U.S. Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman said the U.S. would not let Turkish Armed Forces to enter Northern Iraq on its own. What do you think about that statement?'' asked journalist to Gul who said that ''we don't have the aim of entering Northern Iraq unilaterally. The issue is regarded with measures against a possible migration. Turkey takes the decision of legitimacy itself... No opportunity should be given to provocative incidents in Northern Iraq... Everybody knows that certain irresponsible acts in Northern Iraq cause negative effects. We launch efforts to make this region a region of peace.''
''It is said that a certain stage has been reached in the bargaining carried out with the United States,'' the journalist said to Gul who responded that ''certainly there are certain agreements in question. These have to be clarified. The issues regarding the future of Iraq are very important. Turkey certainly wants its economic losses to be met.''
(UK-GC-ÖS-AÖ) 11.03.2003