ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while addressing the nation, underlined that a new period with very special conditions emerged, and said, ''the war that continues near us undoubtedly affects our country deeply whether we are in or out of it. In cases where wars with regional and global effects break out, significant difficulties occur in reflecting real content of the incidents. As the world public opinion, Turkish public opinion also encounters a mass information bombardment from various sources. In this bombardment, we need to pay attention to misinformation campaigns that target our countries interests and our government's policies.''
Pointing to the influence of some baseless stories that took place especially in foreign press and offended Turkish public opinion on Turkey and Turkish nation's historical sensitivities, Erdogan said that he earlier warned about such misinformation campaigns. ''But the real responsibility lies with the Turkish press and Turkish public opinion,'' he said.
Erdogan said, ''it is true that Turkey passes through a very critical point. It is true that the war affects negatively our country as well as our region and the world. It is true that the region will not be the same. But it is also true that Republic of Turkey has the power and strength to protect its security and interests. Republic of Turkey, will altogether overcome these difficult days and definitely succeed to open the way of peace, freedom, welfare, justice and development inside and outside.''
Noting that Turkey is not an ordinary country that could be affected socially, politically, economically and militarily with misleading campaigns, Erdogan said that Turkey is a giant that is waking up with its qualified manpower, extraordinary dynamism, and excitement of people to work, produce, and to be a wealthier and more free society.
He said, ''our government has no other aim than to develop our relations based on mutual respect and trust, friendship, peace and cooperation with all our neighbors and allies.''
ERDOGAN: ''AK PARTY DID EVERYTHING TO PREVENT THIS
Erdogan said that the efforts for peace concerning the U.S. operation against Iraq failed and the world encountered with a war. ''The geography we lived in had become a stage for big wars and tragedies of the history. We, whatever the conditions are, do not give up voicing peace because of our belief in the sacredness of all life, the depth of our history, and universal values of the civilization that we have set up and continued. We have to comply with justice and law under any condition. Let us not forget that the war also has a law.''
Noting that the war process started long before their coming to power, he said ''AK Party did everything to prevent the war; it knocked on every door, and extended hand to everybody whom it had to.'' He said that they contacted with the United States and Iraq, EU countries, Russia, China, Islamic countries and neighboring countries. ''We continued our efforts for peace saying 'steps have not ended for peace' after every development. Of course, we could not keep our close to developments and took measures for possible developments. When all efforts ended for peace, we could not stop taking measures for ending the war as soon as possible, establishing peace as soon as possible after the war, and safety and future of our country.''
Underlining that continuing Turkey's relations with its allies on a ''healthy ground'' is ''extraordinarily important'' for Turkey's safety and future, Erdogan recalled that a motion was prepared for renovation of airports and ports and they took authority from the parliament for this under mutual understanding with the United States.
Erdogan said, ''while these developments occurred, we reached to the point where words came to an end, and unfortunately the war started. Meanwhile, significant developments occurred in the world. The United Nations, whose main mission is 'peace' took a heavy blow. Significant divisions occurred among European Union countries. Arab League had significant differences of opinion. And now, the war continues with all its severity. Unfortunately, the common conscious of humanity failed to prevent this war. We wish that this war ends as soon as possible and peace prevails.''
Emphasizing that they cover an open policy, Erdogan said, ''although we insisted on solution of the problem on the basis of U.N., we had the necessity to take steps as soon as possible because the U.N. got out of the process step by step. As you know, all these occurred in a fully democratic process.''
''You should know that under these conditions, opening Turkish air space target maintaining our relations with our allies, taking measures for our security against possible developments, ending the war as soon as possible, establishing peace as soon as possible after the war, protecting Iraq's integrity, and preventing provocations that will affect whole region and of course our country.''
Noting that Turkish state's and government's first duty is to provide continuity of the state and well-being of the nation, Erdogan said that Turkish nation overcame worse situations and always existed and would exist as a free nation. ''The only condition is unity of our nation.''
Erdogan said, ''Turkey cannot approach this war with the political approach of Finland or Australia. I randomly used the names Finland and Australia. My goal is to tell that our priorities and sensitivities will not be the same with those who live far away from our region because we are neighbors of Iraq. Consequently, this war, which means a problem that will be covered on table and evaluated on paper for other countries, is a fire on our district for us. The world should be forgotten that 500 thousand Iraqis took shelter in Turkey in the Gulf War in 1991, but we did not. Yes, if previous administrations had evaluated our country's esteem, power and capabilities as required, and if our economy did not have been so fragile, the affect of war would have been much limited.''
''We have to be very careful while giving decisions today. We want that none of our soldiers would be hurt and none of our citizens would suffer. We have to unite our hearts today.''
ERDOGAN: OUR GOVERNMENT DETERMINED ON IMPLEMENTING ECONOMIC PROGRAM
Erdogan said that they took measures to meet expenses of extraordinary conditions complying with the economic program and he expected that fourth review would be completed in the first half of April.
He said that the program had the strength to control affects of war on economy.
ERDOGAN: OPENING OF TURKISH AIR SPACE IS A REQUIREMENT OF OUR BEING ALLIES WITH THE UNITED STATES AND IT IS FOR THE INTERESTS OF TURKEY
Erdogan said that opening of Turkish air space to foreign air elements was a requirement of Turkey's being allies with the United States and it was for Turkey's interests. He added that the existence of Turkish soldiers in the region would be an element of stability and safety both for Turkey and for the region.
Erdogan said that they never initiated a ''bargaining for money'' before the war as claimed by the U.S. press and reflected to Turkey.
Criticizing those who blamed them for initiating a bargaining for money yesterday but for not making a good bargaining today, Erdogan said, ''the preference of our government is not between peace and war, but limiting influence of an inevitable war near us on Turkey. Our efforts target maintaining Turkey's high interests, the position of our country in the region and to protect with great care the structure of our relations with the United States.''
Recalling that the government that covered the developments asked the parliament to approve opening Turkish air space to air elements of foreign armed forces on March 19 and the parliament approved it on March 20.
''Opening Turkish air space to foreign air elements is to the benefit of Turkey and it is a requirement of our being allies with the United States,'' Erdogan said.
''A military arrangement that we will do through a determined strip on the other side of the Iraqi border targets controlling the migration wave that may come to Turkey, and to take humanitarian aid to migrants effectively, and to prevent some provocations targeting our safety and provide the safety of our borders.''
''The existence of Turkish soldiers in the region will be an element of stability and safety both for Turkey and the region. Turkish Armed Forces will extend a helping hand to those who are in need once again.''
Underlining that maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity and national unity was important for Turkey, Erdogan said, ''Iraq's Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen and all other population are in fact our brothers and relatives.''
Noting that Iraq's rich natural sources should belong to all Iraq nation, Erdogan said, ''these are our basic political approaches towards Iraq. We are in agreement with the United States on all these issues.''
Erdogan said Turkey wished all Iraq nations to have a free and prosper future.
Emphasizing that they wanted Iraq to reach peace and stability as soon as possible, Erdogan said that Turkey would make every kind of contribution for Iraq and the region to develop in a contemporary and democratic order and reach peace and stability. Erdogan said the stage Turkish democracy reached and its development process that would be speeded up would be an example for the countries in the region.
''I believe that we would contribute to peace and stability in our region by sharing our democratic and contemporary acquisitions, experiences, hopes and projects with our close and far neighbors that we share a common history and cultural peculiarities.''
(AÖ) 23.03.2003