Ambassador's remarks & public events

Ambassador Ross Wilson Interview With NTV

January 30, 2006
 
QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, welcome to the NTV studio. 

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Thank you very much.  It is good to be here.

 

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, I would like to start my questions with the Cyprus issue.  As you know, the Prime Minister of Turkey had a talk with the Secretary General of the UN last week in Davos.  First of all, I would like to know whether you believe that the new Turkish initiative will have a positive result?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The United States has welcomed Foreign Minister Gul’s initiative.  We have urged the Secretary General of the United Nations and all other parties to try to work with it, and to take advantage of what the Turks have put on the table.  We certainly hope that it will have a good result.  It reflects Turkey’s strong desire and interest to move these negotiations forward, which is an objective we share. 

 

QUESTION:  But on the other hand Mr. Ambassador, after the Turkish action plan we immediately heard the refusal of Greek Cyprus and Athens.  Now, if they refuse to talk, what might be the chance for the new Turkish initiative?  And a follow up question, how can the UN, or the US, or the EU convince the Greeks and Greek Cyprus at least to start to talk?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  How Turkey will ensure that this actually leads to a good result is harder to say.  In diplomacy, we talk with one another, and we try to find a mutually acceptable way forward.  It is certainly the United States’ desire to see the Cyprus negotiations move forward to a settlement that is acceptable to both sides of the island.  We believe that there exists a good potential for such progress.  Clearly, the next steps probably rest more with the Greek Cypriots, who need both to respond in a more constructive way to this initiative, and perhaps more importantly to indicate to the United Nations Secretary General on what basis they are prepared now to move forward – what would be the principal areas of change that they want to see from the proposal that the Secretary General put forward a couple of years ago.

 

QUESTION: What is the best time, according to you, to start peace negotiations again?  Now there will be elections in the Greek part of Cyprus, so in the short term do you see any chance to restart the negotiation?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I have seen some information that the Secretary General may be planning to send his representative to Cyprus in May or June, after the parliamentary elections in Cyprus.  That is probably a right and appropriate time.

 

QUESTION:  Jack Straw, the Foreign Minister of the UK, was on the island, and Mr. Papadopoulos, the President of Greek Cyprus, refused to talk to him because he also talked with the President of the Turkish part, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat, in his office.  There are some press reports that Mr. Matt Bryza has a similar position.  Now, according to these press reports, his visit to the island has been postponed several times because he insisted on talking to Mehmet Ali Talat, but he could then not talk to Mr. Papadopoulos.  First, are these press reports correct?  And if they are correct, what would be the reaction of the US?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I am not sure I am familiar with the details of the press stories that you are citing.  Mr. Bryza has been to Cyprus in the past.  He has met with officials in the past.  There has been some discussion of a trip that he would make early this year to Athens, to Turkey, and also to Cyprus to push the process along and see if we can find ways to move forward.  I am not aware of exactly what the timing is.  He has met with Mr. Talat before.  He has met with senior officials of the Greek Cypriot Administration as well. 

 

QUESTION:  In the past there were some steps from the US to break the isolation of the Turkish part of Cyprus.  For example, some congressmen came to the Turkish part of Cyprus.  In the near future, are you aware of some new steps or new initiatives of your country toward the Turkish part of Cyprus to break their isolation?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  We would like to see the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots reduced.  We think that is important.  We think it will contribute to progress on a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.  As I think you know, Secretary Rice met with Mr. Talat in Washington in her office.  That was an intentional gesture to reach out to the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, and to discuss with him ways to move the process forward.  I have seen references in the Turkish press to plans of some congressmen to visit northern Cyprus at some point in the near future.  I have no information on that.  They have not been in touch with us.  Such a visit would be fine, and it would be consistent with the strategy that we have been engaged in of trying to reach out to the Turkish Cypriots to try to find a way forward. 

 

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, when we talk about visits I would like to refer to the possible visit of Condoleezza Rice to Ankara.  There are press reports that she will be here sometime in the spring.  First of all, is this correct?  Is she planning to come to Ankara in the near future?  If the answer is yes, is there a fixed date?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The last time I talked with Secretary Rice directly on this subject was the day I was sworn in in Washington on November 30.  At that time she told me that she wanted very much to come to Turkey early in 2006.  Exactly when this will take place, I cannot tell you.  There is no date that has been fixed.  We have discussed various options at various points.  As I think you know, she is engaged in very intense diplomacy right now related to the Iran issue.  She is in London a little bit later this week for meetings on Afghanistan.  She is doing a lot of things.  I am sure that she will come here as soon as she can.  I look forward to working out a date.

 

QUESTION:  As you know, Cyprus is not the only problem in Turkish foreign policy.  Another problematic point is Iraq.  The Secretary General of the National Security Council, Ambassador Yigit Alpogan, was recently in Washington.  He had talks with American officials, and later he made a statement saying that as long as the US is only watching the PKK in northern Iraq, you cannot convince the Turkish public opinion that you are really doing something.  First of all, I would like to get your comment on this statement.

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I have not seen the context in which Mr. Alpogan made his remarks, so I probably can’t really comment directly on what he said.  But I can talk more broadly about the PKK, what the United States is doing and wants to do, together with Turkey, to address this issue.  We attach great importance to the fight against international terrorism.  We attach great importance at the highest levels of the United States Government, and I personally attach great importance, to working with Turkey on the problem of PKK terrorism, which we recognize is the largest and most significant national security threat that this country faces.  We are trying to work with Turkey in a number of different ways to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with this problem.  Rather than act in just one area, we want to act in a whole range of different areas in a way that we hope in the near future, but probably not in the very immediate future, deals comprehensively with this problem and makes it go away, makes it not exist as something that Turkey really has to worry about.  That involves the work that we are doing with Turkey and, more importantly, with the authorities of Iraq, to strengthen the Iraqi state as a unified, stable and secure country that can control its own borders, that can control the activities that go on within its own borders, including specifically with respect to insurgents and terrorist groups such as the PKK.  We are working with Turkey to try to cut off the sources of funding that come to the PKK from Europe, to shut down front groups that operate in Europe, and to reduce the ability of PKK figures to operate freely in Europe.  We have a very active program of exchanging information with the Turkish authorities on a number of different levels.  There are some other activities that we are engaged in that I am frankly not in a position to describe.  We take this very seriously.  We are working, we believe, effectively on this.  We are committed to achieving results.

 

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, I understand what you are saying, but the Turkish public  has been waiting for a long time for some very concrete steps from the US towards the terrorist organization, the PKK.  For example, maybe there cannot be a military operation against the whole organization, but maybe some members of the leadership could be sent to Turkey as you did in the past with Abdullah Ocalan.  Are there such plans on the agenda of US?  As long as there is no military reaction against the PKK, they are in northern Iraq, and they keep coming to Turkey.  There are terrorist attacks more or less every day in Turkey.  In this context, what can you do to convince the Turkish public of your sincerity?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  On the first part of your question, we are working, as I indicated, in a variety of ways to shut down front groups, to make it difficult for individuals to operate freely in Europe, and ideally to be returned to Turkey where they can stand trial for crimes that they have committed.  It is my hope that those activities and the initiatives that we are engaged in will bear fruit, and that people will see the results of that.  I recognize the frustration that many people have with what they perceive to be the lack of tangible results.  We are committed to achieving tangible results, whether they are visible or not, and to achieving a result that lessens, and ultimately eliminates, the problem of PKK terrorism that affects Turkey, just we are committed to dealing with the problem of international terrorism that affects all of us, including Turkey and the United States.

 

QUESTION:  You were just saying that your country was trying to achieve a united Iraq.  But on the other hand, there are comments from several directions that the Kurds have a secret agenda to create an independent Kurdistan one day, in the near future or the long term.  In case there were to be such an initiative, what would be the reaction of your country?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I cannot speculate about hypotheticals on what happens if certain Kurdish leaders do certain things.  But I can tell you that the United States is committed to the success of a unified, democratic, prosperous Iraq that includes all of the main ethnic communities that currently exist in Iraq, and that functions within the territory that currently constitutes Iraq -- that we maintain and support its territorial integrity.  That is US policy.  That is what we are working on.

 

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, Kirkuk is a special point of concern for Turkey.  Now we keep hearing that more and more Kurds are coming to Kirkuk.  What should be the position of Kirkuk in the future in Iraq?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The Iraqi Constitution lays down some procedures on how the status of Kirkuk is going to be decided by the Iraqi people.  We support the provisions of the Iraqi Constitution.  We think they make a lot of sense.  Our bedrock principle is that the people of Iraq should determine the future of Kirkuk.  The people of Iraq should determine the future of Iraq.  The specific solution that is developed for Kirkuk should be one that respects the rights and the responsibilities of all of the different ethnic communities there, including the Kurdish community, including the Shiite community and the Sunni communities.

 

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, let’s stay in the same area -- I mean in the Middle East.  I will have some questions about Syria and Iran.  Both the presidents of Iran and Syria would like to come to Turkey.  Especially the President of Iran made it clear that he wants to come to Ankara.  There were also such plans of Mr. Assad.  If they come to Ankara or somewhere else in Turkey, what would be the reaction of the US because of the tension between Washington and these countries?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Again, I don’t want to talk about hypothaticals with you.  We believe that Iran has isolated itself internationally by the actions that it has engaged in to develop nuclear weapons that are a threat to all of us, including Turkey and the United States, as well as other countries in the region.  That is unacceptable.  We are trying to encourage the broadest possible number of countries to work as vigorously as possible on a diplomatic track to persuade the Iranian authorities to abandon their nuclear weapons programs, to cooperate fully and completely with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to be fully transparent and open with the International Atomic Energy Agency.  That is where we would like to see Turkey’s efforts directed.  Turkey has made a number of helpful statements to the Iranians, and we would like to see that continue. 

 

QUESTION:  Actually this was my follow-up question.  I was planning to ask about your expectation from Turkey concerning Iran and Syria.  Can we say, in general, that the Washington administration is “happy” with Turkish policies for these countries?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  We cooperate closely with the Turkish Government on issues in the region.  We have consulted a great deal in the short time that I have been here, and before that as well, with the Turkish Government on Iran and on Syria.  It has been a principal topic of most of the recent visitors that were here including, as was reported in the Turkish media, by General Chuck Wald, our number two military commander in Europe.  It is our goal to be in close sync and harmony with Turkey, particularly with respect to Iran.  It is extremely important for this diplomatic track to succeed that everybody be on that train, that everybody speak as much as possible with one voice so that we can convince the Iranians to give up this terrible program. 

 

QUESTION:  Maybe this will be a repetition of my last question, but there are three countries viewed as problematic in Washington – Iran, Iraq, and Syria – and they are neighbors of Turkey.  Are you satisfied with the cooperation between the US and Ankara on these three countries?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  As I indicated, we are working very closely with the Turkish authorities.  There are always things that we could do differently, or areas of cooperation that we could expand -- whether it be with respect to Iraq, and helping to ensure that that country succeeds, or other initiatives that we could take with Turkey or with other countries in the region -- to try to persuade the Iranians or Syrians to change their course.  The clear message that I have gotten from the Turkish officials that I have met with is that Turkey -- the Turkish Government -- wants to work closely with us on these problems.  So that is what we are going to try to do. 

 

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, a few years ago, there was a very unfortunate event in Suleymaniye.  When I read one of your first statements when you came to Ankara, you said that this is in the past.  There have been some books about this story, and now in the near future there will be a movie in which some people will go to Iraq to take revenge by the Turks against the Americans.  What I would like to know is whether you are irritated or disturbed by these types of books and movies?  Does this show a reaction of the Turkish public to the US?

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I am not sure that I would use the terms “irritated” or “disturbed.”  It is an unwelcome story to read over and over again.  There were some specific accounts of this a couple of weeks ago that recorded a subsequent incident -- not Suleymaniye -- that had been thoroughly investigated by the Turkish military and found to be not true.  It was found to be a fabrication.  I found it odd that those news stories did not mention the fact that the Turkish military had investigated and found the report to be without substance.  Some of what has come out recently, and the film that you referred to – “Valley of the Wolves,” that will come out next week -- is entertainment.  It doesn’t purport to be history.  It is based on some historical incidents, to be sure, but it doesn’t purport to be an accurate reflection of what exactly happened. 

 

(The interview ended at this point due to a technical failure.)