Turkey: USA Must Punish Perpetrators

Turkey’s demands will be taken up by the Joint Research Committee today, when details of the crisis will be examined. It is believed that Turkish Foreign Affairs officials at the committee will call for the dismissal of the US troops responsible for putting Turkish soldiers under a 60-hour surveillance.

The crisis was discussed in Cabinet yesterday. Following the meeting, it was stated that Turkey’s withdrawal from Northern Iraq was out of the question. There was also uneasiness during US Ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson’s farewell visit to Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. Ozkok described the incident as "the greatest confidence crisis between the armed forces of the two countries."

However, he pointed out that he did not believe the incident to be Washington’s or US Army policy. Ozkok added that the event dented the honor of the Turkish Armed Forces. Criticizing the style of the US troops, Ozkok said that the justification and intelligence behind the incident had not been confirmed, and to act on that basis was unacceptable.

Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek said there was no reason for Turkey to withdraw from northern Iraq. "The reasons for the Turkish Army’s presence in Iraq are still there. We are doing the right thing by staying in northern Iraq. He said that since authority had not been established in Iraq yet, the emergence of unfounded claims and intrigue was possible. Cicek also criticized the US for damaging US-Turkish relations: "To level allegations with fait accompli is not appropriate for the alliance, and the friendship," he said.

US Ambassador Pearson had this to say regarding the incident: "We have always been allies, and in future, we will continue to be allies. Relations between the two countries will be rebuilt, on a new page."

Foreign News Services / Istanbul / TURKEY