Ambassador's remarks and public events

Ambassador Wilson Interview with Nazli Oztarhan, Star TV Istanbul

March 16, 2007

OZTARHAN: First of all, I want to thank you very much for giving us the opportunity for this interview.

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Thank you, it is a pleasure to be with you.

OZTARHAN:  I would like to start with one of the most vital issues for Turkey, which is PKK terrorism.  Recently the commander of the Turkish Army, Ilker Basbug, made a statement that, if necessary, we’ll do a cross border operation.  And the reply to this from Washington was inaudible that the U.S. will not support such an operation.  So what does the U.S. suggest as a solution at this point?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  What we have been trying to do together with Turkey and Iraq is to put together a three-country approach to deal with the PKK problem in northern Iraq.  It is part of a broader strategy that we are engaged in with Turkey to support Turkey’s efforts against PKK terrorism.  It includes work that we do together with Turkey to support Turkey’s own efforts in Turkey itself; work with Turkey in Europe to shut down front groups, to close off sources of funding that come to the PKK from sources in Europe; and also of course this trilateral mechanism, together with Iraq to go after them.  We believe that there is a good scope and good opportunity for our three countries to work together peacefully and collaboratively, or in any rate peacefully among the three of us, to eliminate the PKK presence there.  We’d like to give priority to that effort.

OZTARHAN:  Turkey has waited a long time and patiently for actions to be taken against PKK, some substantial actions, let’s put it that way.  But don’t you think that Turkey might be running out of patience because it has been almost 2.5 years that the promises were given but no substantial acts were taken against PKK.

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  It is not for me to judge the patience of the Turkish political authorities.  I think Turkey has strongly supported our efforts and the efforts of the Iraqi authorities to stand up a strong united Iraq whose territorial integrity is respected by its neighbors, by all its neighbors, including, I think, particularly Iran and Syria.  How we deal with the PKK has some bearing on this issue of territorial integrity, and that has been a point of departure for us.  We took very seriously the significant increase in PKK violence that took place in 2006, that by our estimate claimed over 600 lives in the first nine months of this year.  600 lives in Turkey, Turkish citizens and some foreign nationals were killed in bomb attacks that took place in the western part of the country.  And as result of that we worked very hard from about September on to focus much more intensively on this; that was part of the appointment of General Ralston, the work he has been engaged in with General Baser on the Turkish side and our work with Iraqi authorities to convince them to take this matter much more seriously. 

OZTARHAN:  For a while there was a real anti-American sentiment among the Turkish public.  Especially after America’s attitude towards PKK, meaning no substantial acts were taken. So don’t you think by maybe handing over some important PKK leaders from northern Iraq to Turkey will be a good step on this sentiment from anti-American to pro-American change?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well, I certainly understand the views of many Turks, maybe most Turks: that there should be and that there needs to be concrete action taken against the PKK. That is the direction in which we are working.  I don’t want to speculate about specific actions, but we understand the need for there to be action, and for Turkey to get some relief and assistance and support from its ally, the United States, and for that matter also from its friend, the country of Iraq, whose leaders share the same views with respect to the PKK that Turkey’s leaders do.

OZTARHAN:  To give relief to the Turkish public, can we say, yes, there will be some substantial acts will be taken in the near future?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  What I can say clearly and explicitly is that we are working as hard as we possibly can with Turkey and with our friends in Iraq to try to achieve results in our common fight against PKK terrorism. I hope that there will be something visible to see. I hope even more so that there will be effective steps whether they are visible or not.

OZTARHAN: Will this be more on a dialogue base or as a last result could be a inaudible Operation?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Our senior Envoy for Countering the PKK, General Ralston, has said several times that military force should be a means of last resort.   But it’s also not something you take entirely off the table, either.  We’ll see what it is that the United States together with Turkey and what the United States together with Turkey and Iraq can most effectively do to deal with this problem.

OZTARHAN:  Do you think there is a possibility of an independent Kurdish country located in northern Iraq?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Our policy is that Iraq should be a unified country, that Iraq’s unity should be respected.  There is, as a practical matter, a certain degree of federalism that is embodied in the Iraqi constitution, with which don’t have any particular problem, but that does not envision Iraq’s break-up into other independent states. 

OZTARHAN:  In one her latest speeches, Condoleezza Rice used the word “Kurdistan.”  Do you think this was a simply slip of the tongue or…”

AMBASSADOR WILSON: What she said was not intended to reflect any change in the United States policy in support of a unified Iraq.  It was an inadvertent remark that she made.

OZTARHAN: One of the very important issues is Iran. In what circumstances will America start a military action against Iran?  Is this a possibility?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  President Bush has said several times in this context, too, that we do not rule out the use of force.  However, the entire thrust of our policy on the Iran nuclear problem is to work with our other friends and allies, in particular with the other five prominent members in the U.S. Security Council, on a diplomatic path vis a vis Iran, whose goal is to convince the Iranians to give up their nuclear weapons program, to abide by their Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations, and to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency.   We are determined that that effort succeed.

OZTARHAN:  I also would like to ask: Osama Bin Laden is a very important name, for the United States, which is Abdullah Ocalan for Turkey. Do you see any differences or similarity between the two names?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Both are prominent international terrorists. One of them, thankfully, is in incarceration.  The other is not, and we are trying to find him.

OZTARHAN: And the missing Iranian deputy of ministry of defense is also still fresh as a subject.  Yesterday the European press claimed he was working for the CIA and Mossad and was taken to the American base in Adana.  Have you any of information on this issue?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I can tell you that 100% of what I know on this has been in the Western press and in the Turkish press.  Everything.  There is nothing further that I can tell you beyond what is in the papers.  I think a lot of what has been in the papers, it reflects speculation and not fact.

OZTARHAN: Back to the cross-border operation.  One more question on that.  Have you got any information that our navy, our military might do an operation in March or in April?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I’ve not gotten any information like that.

OZTARHAN: I want to get to the, it seems that every time the relations start on a bumpy road, the so-called Armenian genocide comes up once again.  Do you think it will pass the House?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I have said on a number of occasions that I think that this issue will be very, very difficult in American politics this year.  The politics in our Congress have changed since the election we had in November 2006.  The Democrats now control both Houses of Congress.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives is publicly on record, prior to the November elections last year, as saying that if she became Speaker, this measure would be brought forward for a vote.  It had not been brought forward for a vote for a number of years, due to the decision of then-Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican.  When or whether there will be action is always very extremely difficult to predict or to speculate about.  The Administration has worked very hard to make clear its position and opposition to this resolution, to the senior members, the leadership of the House, as well as to those who are backing this measure.

OZTARHAN: How about the Senate? There is a lower chamber and the Senate.  If it passes, how do you think this will effect the relations between the two countries?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: The same resolution that was introduced in the House in late January, I understand was introduced in the Senate just in the last couple of days.  What its prospects will be in the Upper House again is somewhat difficult to predict.  It is a brand new resolution there, so it will take a little bit of time, I think, for it to be considered very much.  We are obviously concerned about the potential impact of this resolution on U.S.-Turkish relations, on prospects for Turkey’s reconciliation with Armenia and for the restoration of normal and appropriate ties between Turkey and Armenia.  We are concerned about other implications that it may have as well.  That is why the President and the Administration strongly oppose this.

OZTARHAN:  The pre-elections and the Presidential elections are coming up so it’s a very important time for Turkey at the moment.  How do you forecast the near future of Turkey?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I wouldn’t want to predict too much about the future of Turkey.  This is a strong successful democracy; it has very strong institutions.  I expect that we will come to the end of 2007 with Turkey still a strong, secure, secular, democratic, prosperous, stable country that is an important partner of the United States and other democracies and the important work we have to do in the world.

OZTARHAN: Is it the common talk that Tayyip Erdogan will be a candidate for the Presidential elections?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  That is probably a question better directed at you rather than at me.

OZTARHAN:  So there is no point of view of the American side on this?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  These are matters for the Turkish people to deal with; we respect the decisions that are made here.

OZTARHAN: From time to time do you make surveys among the Turkish public?  As I said, there were times of anti-American sentiment, because of the PKK and the so-called Armenian genocide.  Do you make surveys or…

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  We do not do that kind of work as a government.  I see the surveys that are published here in the Turkish press.  There are private organizations in the United States that do surveys here and in other countries around the world.  But, no, the United States Government does not do this.

OZTARHAN:  How important is it?  What the Turkish public thinks about the American government and Americans?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Turkey is a democracy, of course.  So, what the public here thinks about the United States and what the United States is doing, about the issues in which we also are interested and it effects what the government can do.  We understand that and respect that. 

OZTARHAN: Maybe some actions, substantial acts will be taken for the PKK.   I’m sure it’s going to go from “anti” to “pro” in a bit of time.  I want the second part of the interview to be more on the personal life, human interest, since people want to know who Ambassador Ross Wilson is. Most of the time you are in the capital, in Ankara.  How often do you visit Istanbul?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I come here probably on average every three or four weeks, usually tied to some visitor or some set of activities that I’ve been invited to take part in.  I try to build some other activities to fill out a day, or even several days.

OZTARHAN:  And if you were to make a choice between living in Ankara or Istanbul?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  They are both wonderful cities.

OZTARHAN:  What fascinates you more in Istanbul, any sightseeing? The Bosphorus or anything special for you?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The city has an immense diversity.  It has got tremendous history… and you have all this beautiful water.

OZTARHAN:  Great.  And your favorite Turkish food?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: My favorite Turkish food… probably baklava, which I eat too much of.

OZTARHAN: It is a little dangerous to eat too much of it.  Meanwhile are you learning any Turkish? 

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Biraz. Ama iyi Turkce konusmuyorum. 

OZTARHAN: Oh, that is something.  Anything you want to say to the Turkish public? Maybe in Turkish?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Probably not.  That’s near the limit.  Turkish is extremely difficult.  I have worked at it some, and I hope to work at it more.

OZTARHAN: Long sentences and long phrases; it’s hard to learn.  Soccer is also a big part of the Turkish life in Turkey.  Do you have time to watch any games?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  My family and I have been to one game.  Ankara Spor hosted Fenerbahce.  That was five or six months ago, I think.  It was a lot of fun.

OZTARHAN:  Which one is your favorite team?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I am not sure I want to pick favorites.  The Fenerbahce fans were really something to behold.

OZTARHAN:  And how about the Eurovision song contest?  Did you get the chance to listen to Kenan Dogulu’s “Shake it Up?”

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I am sorry, I didn’t.

OZTARHAN: OK.  Anything you would like to end before we end?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I would only say Turkey is an extremely interesting country.  There is so much history here.  There are wonderful people.  You live in an extremely complicated part of the world.  We have many, many interests in common.  And we have important work to do.  What the United States is trying to do together with Turkey is to work together, work on issues of common interest, whether it is Iraq or Iran or the Middle East; trying to help build a better future there, or build a better future in Afghanistan, free of terrorists and free of Islamic extremists.  Or try to help Turkey get in to the European Union, which we believe is very much in our interest, and very much in the West’s interest and very much in Turkey’s interest.  There is a lot of good and important work to do, and it is a privilege to represent my country here.

OZTARHAN:  Thank you very much, Ambassador Wilson.

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Thank you.