ANKARA - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that first reports of liaison teams, which were sent to region to observe withdrawal of Kurdish forces from Kirkuk and Mosul, started to reach to Ankara.
Gul and Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, who met in Foreign Ministry residence, held a joint press conference.
Upon a question, Gul said that liaison teams had reached their mission zone as of 16.00 local time on Friday and first reports of the teams started to come.
Gul said that the reports were firstly evaluated in General Staff Headquarters and then in Foreign Ministry. He recalled, ''Schwimmer came to Turkey as rapporteur of the Council of Europe in the past. Meanwhile, I have taken part in Turkish delegation in Council of Europe for long years.''
Gul added that they had a beneficial meeting today as it was in the past.
Noting that they examined democratic reforms in Turkey and took up reforms which were planned to be fulfilled, Gul said that another topic of the meeting was the Iraq issue.
Gul said that they would like Iraq to reach stability and peace as soon as possible, and added that they also discussed humanitarian issues in the meeting.
Noting that they took up the Cyprus question in the meeting, Gul said that he conveyed Schwimmer that Turkey was exerting efforts to find a solution, but solution required mutual responsibility.
Gul said that they did not lose their hopes about the Cyprus question and he added that a permanent solution could only be possible by means which would satisfy both sides.
Schwimmer said that he was paying an official visit to Turkey for the first time as secretary general of the Council of Europe and stated that they were very pleased about reforms which have been carried on in Turkey for two years.
Stating that the government's initiatives for speeding up reforms and statements in favor of reforms were also very pleasing, Schwimmer said that when those reforms were completed, no one could deny Turkey's meeting standards of the Council of Europe and Copenhagen criteria.
Schwimmer said that they were pleased with Turkey's decision to continue efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus question and noted that if both sides had the necessary will, the two sides could succeed in living together on the basis of principle of equality.
Stating that they had concerns over current situation, instability, disorder and anarchy in Iraq, Schwimmer said that it was necessary to take immediate action on this issue.
Schwimmer said that they believed that the United Nations should play an active role in rebuilding process of Iraq.
Schwimmer noted that it was planned that foreign ministers of 45 member countries of the Council of Europe would come together at a special session between May 14 and 15, 2003 to discuss role of Europe and the U.N. in rebuilding of Iraq after war.
He said that a democratic Iraq, where rights of all groups in the country were respected and where there was prosperity, would be very important for stability of the region.
Gul and Schwimmer will have a dinner the same day.
PRESIDENT SEZER EMPHASIZES STEPS TAKEN FOR EXTENSION OF FREEDOMS IN TURKEY IN HIS MEETING WITH SCHWIMMER
Releasing a statement, the Presidential Press Center recalled that President Sezer received Schwimmer earlier in the day.
According to statement, Sezer, in his meeting, touched on the role of Turkey, which was one of the oldest members of Council of Europe, in forming a law field on joint values such as human rights, democracy and supremacy of law in Europe.
He also noted that Turkey took the European Convention on Human Rights and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights into consideration in its reform activities and legal arrangements which had been fulfilled in recent period.
Sezer emphasized steps which have been taken for extension of freedoms in Turkey and stressed that those steps were modern arrangements which were rights of Turkish nation at his meeting with Schwimmer.
Meanwhile, Schwimmer said in his part that he attributed special importance to cooperation between Turkey and the Council of Europe.
Stating that Turkey could play an important role in its region with its democratic and secular structure, Schwimmer said that this role was further strengthened by recent reforms.
Schwimmer said that reforms would not only provide Turkish people having better conditions, but also provide Turkey reaching standards of the Council of Europe. He added that those reforms would make contribution to Turkey for fulfilling Copenhagen criteria.
President Sezer and Schwimmer exchanged views on situation in Iraq and the Cyprus question at the meeting.
ERDOGAN INFORMS SCHWIMMER ABOUT TURKEY'S REFORMS ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND SUPREMACY OF LAW
Prime Ministry Press Center said on Friday that Erdogan received Schwimmer and stated that Turkey's relations with the council was taken up at the meeting.
Importance of Turkey's active support to works of the Council of Europe in its more than 50-year membership process and the Council of Europe's contributions to development of human rights and democracy in Turkey was emphasized at the meeting.
Erdogan explained determination of the government on continuation and implementation of reforms at his meeting with Schwimmer.
Erdogan and Schwimmer exchanged views on international issues including Iraq issue.
(EÖ-AY) 11.04.2003