ANKARA - Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said on Tuesday that the Turkish nation is not part of Iraq war.
Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting, Baykal recalled that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had said during U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Turkey that Turkey was a part of the coalition.
Baykal claimed that Gul's remarks meant that Turkey waged war against Iraq.
Stressing that only the parliament had the authority of waging war under the Constitution, Baykal said, ''as far as I remember, the parliament did not wage war, and actually it rejected even cooperation with the coalition in this issue. The President, the Chief of the General Staff and the public are against this war. Turkey is not a country which takes part in a war by looking at the end and result of that war. In such a situation, Turkey makes evaluation and assessment by looking at its core and legal and political aspects.''
''By doing this, the AK Party has chosen its way and taken a side. It said that it took its part by ignoring the laws, political core and principles. Everybody should know that the side which they describe is no one but themselves alone. The Turkish nation is not a part of this war. In the world, AK Party is the only ruling party that tries hard to join this coalition which attacks on Iraq. I wish them success,'' he said.
Baykal said, ''after a five-month waiting, AK Party had not choice but to sign the letter of intent with the IMF. And after this process, AK Party can no more make complaints about the IMF.''
(MS-AÖ) 08.04.2003