Ambassador's remarks & public events

Remarks by Ambassador Ross Wilson Following a Meeting With CHP Leader Deniz Baykal  

Ankara - February 2, 2006

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Thank you very much.  As Mr. Baykal noted, I have been in Turkey now almost exactly two months.  I am continuing my initial calls on a range of leaders in this country -- in the Government, in the media (I have met with many of you and many of your bosses), leaders in business and in the non-governmental community, and of course also among leaders of the opposition here in this meeting today.  We had a good discussion about a wide range of topics.  Mr. Baykal gave a very helpful overview of how he sees the region and the problems and the issues around Turkey that Turkey has to confront.  I asked him to describe for me the CHP platform or program, which he did.  It is very helpful to me to understand and put together for myself a more complete picture of the issues on the table in Turkish domestic politics as well as on specific issues relevant to United States interest and US-Turkish relations.  I’d be happy to take a couple of questions, and I am sure Mr. Baykal would as well.

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, I would like to ask you a question.  Discussions are going on recently in Turkey, maybe you have noticed, about the assets of political leaders.  How about in the United States?  How does the United States system work?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I have followed the discussions as recorded in the media here that have taken place over the course of last several days.  I don’t want to comment on that.  If you have a specific question about the United States…

QUESTION:  What about the system in the United States? That is my question. 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  There are different requirements that have been established for different kinds of officials in government positions, both standards established at the federal level by the federal government or different branches of the federal government, and of course the states have their own regimes.  All senior level appointed officials in the executive branch are required to file annual financial disclosure forms.  I have done this.  I have been doing it for the last ten to fifteen years.  Those forms and that information is not made publicly available.  It is private information.  But it is available to Congress.  It is available to others with a particular need to know about our financial holdings.  People in very senior political positions may choose to make their information publicly available.  I believe that the President has done that with respect to some, maybe all, of his financial information.  The Vice President may have done the same thing, although I frankly have no information on that.  Members of Congress, under Congress’ own rules, make some information available.  The extent of that, I can’t tell you.  I am sure you could find out by checking out appropriate web sites in the United States. 

QUESTION:  The “Valley of the Wolves” will start playing in cinemas tomorrow.  It is expected to bring a new perspective to US-Turkish relations.  Do you have any thoughts about this movie?  Are you planning to see it?  Or are you planning to attend the gala tonight?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  No. 

QUESTION:  Amerikan Büyükelçiliğinin Türkiye’nin çeşitli illerinde bazı anketler yaptığı ve Türk halkının komplo teorilerine inanıp inanmadığıyla ilgili sorular yöneltildiği belirtildi.  Büyükelçilik bu konuda niçin böyle bir çalışma yapıyor?  İçeriği nedir?  Bir açıklama yapacak mı?

It has been reported that the US Embassy has been conducting polls in several provinces of Turkey and asking questions to find out if the Turkish people believe in conspiracy theories.  Why is the Embassy conducting such an activity on this subject?  What is the content of it?  Is there going to be a statement about it?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  We are not doing anything like that.

QUESTION:  Deniz Baykal’ın Irak konusundaki düşünceleri geçtiğimiz hafta Sosyalist Enternasyonel Platformunda Avrupa gündemine taşındı ve Deniz Baykal’ın Irak’la ilgili yaptığı konuşmada yüze yakın yabancı ülke delegesi vardı.  Orada Baykal konuşmasında Irak’ta ABD’nin başarısız bir politika yürüttüğünü ve Ortadoğu’daki şu anki durumun Irak savaşından dolayı kötü bir noktaya geldiğini dile getirdi dünya siyasetçilerine.  Bunu bugün de paylaşmış olabilir.  Görüşleri nedir Sayın Büyükelçinin?

Deniz Baykal expressed his views about the Iraq issue to Europe through the Socialist International Platform last week.  Around one hundred foreign delegates were there during Deniz Baykal’s speech.  In his speech there, Baykal told politicians form around the world that the US has carried out an unsuccessful policy in Iraq, and that the current situation in the Middle East has become worse because of the war in Iraq.  He may have shared his thoughts today as well.  What is the view of Mr. Ambassador?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I am not familiar with the comments that Mr. Baykal may have made in the recent past on this subject.  We did talk about Iraq.  Mr. Baykal described his perspective -- not quite in the terms that I think you described.  But he described how he sees the issues.  I talked about what it is that we are trying to do, the avenues that we are working on right now to help the Iraqi political leaders form a broad cross-sectarian government that includes all of the main political elements there, a step that is essential for Iraq’s success over the coming period.