A sobering speculation

01.04.2005 Hurriyet Prime Minister, reacting to a speculated link
between the US quest for permission from Turkey for widened use of the
military base at Incirlik and US Congressional action on the Armenian
genocide bill, said “this saddens us.” In a press conference held in
Rabat, the capital of Morocco, Erdogan repeated his assertion that
permission for widened use of Incirlik will only be made within the
framework of NATO and UN humanitarian programs. Erdogan went on to
say: “Every request that is made cannot always be met…..there is a
certain level of support that we are already giving and will continue
to give….But developments in the direction of equating the Incirlik
and the Armenian issues sadden us. The American congress has not done
anything like this, and I do not think that will in the future.”

Stressing that Turkey has opened its historical archives to everyone,
Erdogan went on: “We have no animosity towards the Armenians….A
nation should not be slandered like this, and the accusations should
not be accepted, because there are documents and information which
deny the truth of these accusations. We wish to step away from these
accusers.”

On another matter, Erdogan responded to the words of Army Chief
Commander Yasar Buyukanit, who said last week that “Turkey has no
political stance on Iraq.” Stressing that this was not in fact
correct, and that the administration working closely with the military
was responsible for forming this policy, Erdogan said “Clearly Turkey
has a policy on Iraq, and who is forming it is clear.”