Turkey welcomes capture of Saddam

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey on Monday welcomed capture of Saddam Hussein, leader of overthrown Iraqi regime, by U.S. forces, and wished this development to contribute to acceleration of normalization process in Iraq.

Foreign Ministry issued a statement and said Turkey shared the pleasure felt by Iraqi people as well as international community over capture of Saddam.

The statement said capture of Saddam Hussein, who kept Iraqi people and the region in a meaningless war and in pincers of a merciless oppression for tens of years, was an important development, stating that, "we wish this important development to be influential in installation of security and stability in Iraq rapidly, and contribute to acceleration of normalization process. It will be wise for all Iraqi people to turn their faces to future."

The statement said, "all international community as well as coalition forces and Iraqi people should work altogether to settle an atmosphere in Iraq which is totally purified from terrorist activities, whose territorial integrity and political unity is provided and in which friendly Iraqi people would live in prosperity and peace in the new period that will start following capture of Saddam Hussein."

The statement underlined that Turkey would continue to contribute Iraqi nation’s reaching its free, prosperous and democratic future.