ANKARA - The meeting, which started at the Cankaya Presidential Palace at 8.00 p.m., lasted for about an hour and 45 minutes.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal were in attendance at the meeting.
ILDEM: DURING THE MEETING, A FULL CONSENSUS WAS REACHED THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE ALL MEASURES TO PROTECT NATIONAL INTERESTS OF TURKEY
Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Tacan Ildem said on Monday, ''during the meeting at the Cankaya Presidential Palace, a full consensus was reached that the government should take all measures to protect national interests of Turkey, and take steps immediately in line with its assessments under the recommendatory decision of the National Security Council (NSC) on January 31, 2003.''
Addressing journalists following the meeting under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Ildem said, ''all developments about the Iraq issue were taken up at the meeting in detail. Turkey has tried to do its utmost so far to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue. Turkey's efforts were known by the whole world public opinion. Statements of U.S. officials and latest developments at the United Nations Security Council revealed that a process making a military action inevitable has already begun against expectations and will of Turkey.''
''During the meeting at the Cankaya Presidential Palace, a full consensus was reached that the government should take all measures to protect national interests of Turkey against all these developments, and take steps immediately in line with its assessments under the recommendatory decision of the NSC on January 31, 2003,'' he told reporters.
Ildem noted, ''in such a critical period, national unity and solidarity are the priorities, which should be preserved. There is not any suspicion that everyone will act with this understanding.''
When asked, ''does this statement mean that the motion will be submitted to the parliament again?'' Ildem said, ''the government will assess it. Then, the most appropriate steps will be taken immediately.''
(UK) 17.03.2003