Posted on 07/14/2003 10:00:34 PM PDT by a_Turk
ANKARA - The joint commission which was formed in order to investigate detention of 11 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq, completed its works after the fourth meeting on Monday.
Sources told the A.A correspondent that during yesterday's and today's meetings, the joint statement, which was expected to be released following the talks, was given its final shape.
Diplomatic sources said that the U.S. side had been waiting for approval of the U.S. administration.
Meanwhile, the Turkish side will submit the draft to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In the statement, the U.S. side is expected to describe detention of Turkish soldiers as ''distressing'' and to highlight importance of bilateral relations and development of dialogue.
During the third meeting of the commission, Supreme Allied Deputy Commander General John Silvester, who headed the U.S. delegation, explained his impressions about the region.
At the end of the meeting, the sides agreed that allegations about assassination were invalid.
U.S. Centcom's Head Gen. Abizaid Expected To Visit Turkey This Week
ANKARA - Lieutenant General John Abizaid, the head of the U.S. Army's Central Command in Qatar, is expected to come to Ankara this week.
Sources said on Monday that Abizaid who took command of the U.S. Centcom from Gen. Tommy Franks last week would stop by Ankara on his way to the region and hold several meetings.
Sources said that preparations for the program of Abizaid in Ankara were under way.
Abizaid's visit is important because it will be paid during a sensitive period which Turkish-U.S. relations are going through and Turkish-U.S. joint fact-finding commission meetings are under way.
Abizaid, a grandson of Lebanese immigrants, speaks fluent Arabic and has been serving for the U.S. army for thirty years.
Buyukanit: Statement Will Be Made From Office Of General Staff Tomorrow Morning
ANKARA - Deputy Chief of General Staff Yasar Buyukanit said on Monday that positive response to the draft joint statement of Turkey-U.S. Joint Commission came from the United States and added that the statement would be made from the Office of General Staff on Tuesday morning.
Replying to questions of reporters during the reception held on the National Day of France, Buyukanit said that the Commission completed works at the end of meetings that continued during the day.
Buyukanit noted that a compromise had been reached on a joint text not on demands of everybody.
Stating that positive response to the draft joint statement of Turkey-U.S. Joint Commission came from the United States, Buyukanit said that the statement would be made from the Office of General Staff on Tuesday morning.
Buyukanit stated that there was ''lack of communication'' between the two countries ''instead of crisis of confidence.''
They reached a consensus to form ''a coordination mechanism'' to prevent misunderstandings and occurrence of similar incidents, Buyukanit pointed out.
Buyukanit said that communication between the two countries regarding the region would continue with help of ''communication units'' to be formed within that framework.
''They would act together from now on,'' Buyukanit noted.
Buyukanit stated that ''strategic partnership'' between two countries continued.
Recalling that they had said that the incident was wrong since the very beginning, Buyukanit said that the reason of existence of Turkish soldiers in the region was the existence of terrorist organization there.
Buyukanit stated that Turkish military would continue to exist in the region as long as that threat continued.
There were not any demands and even any implication from the United States for reduction of number of Turkish soldiers in the region, Buyukanit said.
Upon a question, Buyukanit said that Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani also came onto agenda during meetings.
Buyukanit noted that Talabani, in person, was not involved in the incident but peshmerges in the region were involved.
General Buyukanit also stated that head of U.S. Central Command John Abizad was expected to come to Ankara on July 18.
There is be no valid justification for the US to support Marxist-Leninist and Islamist guerilla organizations. The short term intelligence gains we get are far out weighed by the long term effects of the logistical consolidation and strength terrorist organizations achieve by our support of them.
Attempts to support Kurdish objectives are efforts to give credence to pure propaganda, plain empty wind, in other words, with the ultimate effect of making the mass murder of Turks respectable.
The USA has ultimately very little to gain, and the Turks have an entire nation to lose, from this sort of engineering. The ultimate probable outcome will cause grievous harm to Turks, and no benefit to the USA.
Nothing good will come out of our support of the Kurds. No one will gain, not the Kurds, not the USA, and not Turkey.
This is a very, very stupid thing for the USA to do. Nothing good, and much mischief, will be the result.
I wonder how you propose to keep Iraq intact if the US doesn't work with the Kurds in northern Iraq.
It seems to me that this is in the interest of Iraq and Turkey. If we didn't support them, an independent Kurdistan would undoubtedly follow. Is that what you had in mind, or do you favor eliminating the Kurds altogether?
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