TURKEY TO USE RIGHT TO ACT AGAINST TERRORISM – PREMIER

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 6 2007

["PREMIER ERDOGAN: ‘WE HAVE COME TO POINT OF USING OUR RIGHT STEMMING
FROM INTERNATIONAL LAWS AGAINST SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION’"
– AA headline]

WASHINGTON D.C. (A.A) -06.11.2007 -Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said Monday, "we have come to the point of using our right
stemming from the international laws, against separatist terrorist
organization which threatens our territorial integrity, public order,
security and peace by getting deployed in north of Iraq. This is
an authorization granted by the international laws and we will use
this authorization."

Speaking at the National Press Club, Prime Minister Erdogan said,
"no one should expect us to sacrifice our national interests for
irrational power plans in the region. Turkey does not endure wasting
more time with some mechanisms and proposals which were tried before
but failed to yield any results."

"Turkey expects the United States and the central Iraqi government
to take tangible and urgent steps that will put a certain end to PKK
terrorism originating from northern Iraq. Our government has been
taking all necessary measures in the fight against the separatist
terrorist organization and will continue to take in the future,"
he said.

Erdogan said, "on numerous occasions I stressed that Turkey has the
power to protect itself. Today, I confirm it once again. We have
come to the point of using our right stemming from the international
laws, against separatist terrorist organization which threatens our
territorial integrity, public order, security and peace by getting
deployed in north of Iraq. This is an authorization granted by the
international laws and we will use it. Our parliament authorized
our government to use this right. And, this decision of the Turkish
parliament is an expression of our people’s feelings and expectations."

"The only target of Turkey is the separatist terrorist organization
which deployed itself in northern Iraq. This should be well-understood
by the whole international community," Erdogan added.

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Turkey would exercise its
right to protect itself and its nation against terrorism if necessary
international support and cooperation could not be provided.

"Because, States are obliged to protect their territorial integrity
and their own citizens," Erdogan said.

Erdogan delivered a speech at the National Press Club in Washington
D.C.

Regarding his recent talks with US President George W. Bush, Erdogan
said that their opinions on various issues were quite similar. "I
think we have understood each other well and we have agreed on basic
matters," he said.

Erdogan said relations between Turkey and USA were currently passing
a series of tests.

"Our meeting with Bush was quite beneficial in terms of its timing
and content," Erdogan said.

Erdogan, who noted that Turkey was a strategic country located in
a risky geography, said the country had an important role regarding
the stability in the region and the world.

He said that the strategic partnership between Turkey and USA was
also of great importance both for the region and the world.

Erdogan said there were two vital issues for Turkey as regards to its
relations with the US and listed them as "the resolution regarding
the Armenian allegations on the incidents of 1915" and "the presence
of PKK terrorist organization in the north of Iraq".

"I hope the US Congress will remove this issue from its agenda,"
said Erdogan, regarding the resolution on Armenian allegations,
and added that he expressed Turkey’s stance on that matter during
his talks with Bush.

– "THERE ARE PARTIES WHICH SUPPORT TERRORISM" – "An international
cooperation is necessary for the fight against terrorism. Terrorism
is an international phenomenon. There are parties which support
and encourage it and provide a continuous logistic support for it,"
Erdogan said.

He said Turkey, which worked hard for peace and stability in its
region, could not get the necessary international support regarding
its fight against PKK.

Erdogan criticized EU-member countries for not supporting Turkey on
the matter.

"Stability in Iraq means stability for us as well. However, instability
in this country will also cause us inconvenience," he said.

– DEFINITION OF A TERRORIST – Erdogan criticized the way the press
handled terrorism issue as well.

"Description of members of the terrorist organization PKK as rebels
and resisters, but not as terrorists really saddens us. We also
see such approach in the US press, nearly in all of it. This is
unacceptable. ‘Terrorist’ when it comes to Al Qaida, but ‘rebel’
when it comes to PKK…," Erdogan said.

"Such an approach is incomprehensible. Here, the world press should
also be aware that it is passing a test," he added.

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday Turkey was not after a war,
but it took a decision to wage an operation.

Erdogan replied to questions of reporters at the National Press Club
in Washington D.C.

Erdogan said he was quite pleased with USA’s recognition PKK as a
terrorist organization and recalled US President George W. Bush’s
statements declaring PKK as an enemy of Turkey, Iraq and USA.

Erdogan said sharing intelligence was of vital importance for Turkey.

Upon a question on whether he would trust Iraqi Kurds regarding the
fight against terrorism, Erdogan said they discussed how to cooperate
on the issue with US officials and representatives of the central
administration in Iraq during the recent International Conference on
Iraq held in Istanbul.

"All parties confirmed that we can cooperate. So, we have to trust
now and we will see what happens in time with the steps we will take,"
he said.

– "NOBODY BUT TURKEY WILL DECIDE" – Erdogan said, "Only Turkey will
decide on how many soldiers will be deployed inside its borders and
where to deploy them at the moment," upon a question on what USA or
Iraqi Kurdish leaders should do to avoid Turkish soldiers’ presence
at the border.

"I would like to underscore one thing here: Our target is the terrorist
organization PKK which settled in the north of Iraq, our target is
never the civilians," Erdogan said.

– "WE HAVE PROTECTED THE PESHMERGA" – A reporter recalled that "Iraqi
Kurdish representatives cooperated with Turkey and fought with PKK
in 1990’s" and asked Erdogan what happened to those relations.

"At that time, Turkey protected nearly 600,000 peshmerga which ran
away from Saddam Hussein’s violence and took shelter in our country,"
Erdogan said.

"It is quite thought-provoking that such relations became reversed
nowadays," he said.

Upon a question on whether the rising nationalism against terrorist
attacks in Turkey targeted citizens with Kurdish origin, Erdogan said,
"No actions targeted our citizens with Kurdish origin. Our nation’s
reaction targets the terrorist organization and its supporters".

Moreover, upon another question, Erdogan said Turkey’s neighbouring
countries Iran and Syria had problems with terrorist organization
PKK as well.

"I would like to underscore that we are not after a war. We took a
decision to wage an operation. This is an operation and our technical
teams, mainly the General Staff, know the way to conduct it. I do
not believe that it will cause any problems in southeastern Turkey or
in our country," Erdogan said, upon a question on whether a probable
clash with PKK would affect the economy in Turkey’s southeast.

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday a PKK terrorist’s escape
after he was released pending trial in France and Austria’s paving
the way for this terrorist to proceed to Iraq, were unforgivable
mistakes of these two EU-member countries.

Replying to questions at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.,
Erdogan said Turkey’s EU membership process was also on the agenda
during his recent talks with US President George W. Bush.

Erdogan said Bush expressed his ongoing support for Turkey’s adhesion
to the union.

Commenting on Turkey’s relations with France, Erdogan recalled the
recent escape of a PKK terrorist from France and Austria’s stance on
the issue.

"We have delivered a diplomatic note to Austria in connection with
that incident. Moreover, we have expressed our sorrow to France. Such
incidents should not take place," Erdogan said.

Regarding Turkey’s EU membership process, Erdogan said, "We are
determined to become an EU member and we will firmly carry on with
this process".

Erdogan commented on the resolution regarding the Armenian allegations
on incidents of 1915 as well.

Upon a reporter’s question on what happened in those years, Erdogan
underscored that a genocide never took place and it was an act of
deportation.

"We have the relevant documents in our archives," Erdogan said.

"This issue is used by the Armenian diaspora to accumulate interest,"
Erdogan said, upon a question on why this historical issue was always
on the agenda.