TURKISH PRESIDENT VIEWS KURDISH ISSUE, RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA, IRAQ

Anadolu Agency
May 27 2009
Turkey

Bishkek, 27 May: The Turkish president said on Wednesday [27 May]
that there could be no negotiation with the terrorist organization.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said that no negotiation could be
made with the terrorist organization.

"If there is violence in one place, people even face problems in
raising democratic standards," Gul told Turkish reporters in the
Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

"Whether you call it terrorism, Kurdish issue or Southeastern Anatolia
problem, isn’t it the most important problem of Turkey?" Gul asked.

Gul also said therefore, Turkey would solve this problem on its own
and by raising democratic standards.

"What we should do is to see our differences as a richness and thus
our respect, affection and sympathy to each other will be more when
we do so," he said.

The Turkish president said that the Democratic Society Party (DTP)
should also contribute to the process, as well as all other political
parties in the parliament.

"Everyone should do what is necessary to settle this issue down with
a constructive approach," Gul also said.

Gul is actually visiting Kyrgyzstan and earlier met his Kyrgyz
counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiyev and the two president held a joint
press conference.

Gul also participated in a meeting of the Turkish-Kyrgyz Business
Council and received Prime Minister Igor Chudinov of Kyrgyzstan.

The Yusuf Balasagun National University in the Kyrgyz capital of
Bishkek presented honorary professor title to Turkey’s President
Abdullah Gul.

The Turkish president expressed on Wednesday his belief that the
current status quo with Armenia was not for nobody’s interest.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said that the status quo between
Turkey and Armenia was not for nobody’s interest.

"Neither the current status quo between Turkey and Armenia nor the one
between Armenia and Azerbaijan are in the best interests of any of the
parties," Gul told Turkish reporters in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

Gul is actually visiting Kyrgyzstan, the first stop of his tour
covering this country and Tajikistan.

President Gul said that diplomacy was being carried out to convince
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to a national match between Turkey
and Armenia to be played in Turkey in October.

Gul defined Russia as a key country in settlement of Caucasian
problems and said this country had good will and was exerting efforts
to solve problems.

On Iraq, Gul said the best interests of the central government of
Iraq and the regional administration in north of Iraq were stability
of the entire country.

Also speaking about the initiatives to clear land mines across
Turkish-Syrian border, Gul said that the parliament would debate
whether this was for the best interests of Turkey and then pass a law.

Gul said that he would ratify the law if he thought it was for the
best interests of Turkey.