ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said late on Thursday that Turkey was not a ''battling coalition partner'' but it is a ''country which cooperated with its allies''.
Replying a question at Ankara's Esenboga Airport after he returned from Brussels where he had attended NATO Council meeting, Gul said that relations with the United States were under the authority given by the parliament, and vehicles which were sent from Turkey to Iraq were totally unarmed and did not have any military quality.
Stressing that all those vehicles were controlled, Gul said, ''any activity beyond the motion is out of question. Turkey is not a part of the war and it is not a battling coalition partner. Turkey is a country which cooperates with its allies. However, it is not a country in war because the parliament did not give such an authority.''
Regarding the meeting in Brussels, Gul said that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had given information on Iraq, and he had explained Turkey's Iraq policy and especially its concerns about northern Iraq and position towards this region.
Noting that measures to prevent a possible clash among civilizations had been taken up at the meeting, Gul said it had been stressed at the meeting that Turkey might undertake an important role in this field.
Recalling that he had had the opportunity of having meetings with his French, German and Canadian counterparts and with NATO Secretary General George Robertson in Brussels, Gul added that the French and German foreign ministers were expected to pay a visit to Turkey soon.
(MS-AÖ) 04.04.2003