AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS & PUBLIC EVENTS

Ambassador Ross Wilson Interview with NTV

Ankara
May 4, 2007

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, good morning. Welcome to NTV studio.

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Good morning. Nice to see you, Murat.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, As you know there's a very [inaudible] process at the moment in Turkey so I would like to go back to last week and my first question is going to be -- is it a surprise the declaration of the army for the US administration?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well let me take a step back from that I think first. We all knew that this was going to be an interesting year in Turkish political development – two elections, very heated and lively debate over the course of the last number of months about the issues that I think were before Turkey. That's a good thing. It’s good to have a lively debate. It's good to have elections. It's how democratic societies build consensus. It's how they combine principles with compromise in a pragmatic way to take the country forward. We were not aware of the statement that the Turkish General Staff issued. We were not aware of it in advance. Obviously, we took note of it, as did people here.

QUESTION: Some commentators claim that the position of the US administration is not as clear as the EU's, so what is your answer for these accusations?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I think our position has been very clear from the very beginning and it pre-dates the statement by the Turkish General Staff. It pre-dates the developments of last week. It goes back a long way. We attach immense importance to Turkey as a democratic society that is governed by a constitution. We attach importance to Turkey's constitutional processes. We have said that very explicitly I think almost everyday this week at high levels of the US government in statements to the press and in other statements that we have made.  We attach a lot of importance to the election here, to the election of a representative government and the accountability of government to the electorate. We've been very clear about that from Secretary Rice, State Department Spokesmen and others on down.

QUESTION:  Some people claim that the secularism in Turkey might be in danger. What is the opinion of the US administration? Do you feel or do you believe that secularism is in danger in Turkey?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I think we have a lot of confidence in Turkey as a democratic society, as a secular society, as a society that has in the past resolved, will, and will now successfully resolve the very fundamental issues that are under debate by Turks, very appropriately by Turkish citizens, in an appropriate way.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, did you have any contact with the Turkish army or the Turkish government after the declaration of the army and if there was what was your message?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I don't want to characterize what our messages are. We operate diplomacy through private channels. Yes, we have been in contact with the Turkish authorities at a variety of levels, both on the political side and on the military.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, what kind of process do you expect in the short future in Turkey?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well I'm following developments I think just like you are and just like Turkish citizens are. I'm well aware that there apparently will be a vote on Sunday, a re-run of the first ballot for the presidential race. I'm aware that the parliament has approved elections to take place in late June. Those elections I think are a good thing. We welcome that. As I said earlier, elections are the way that democratic societies develop the consensus required to govern effectively.

QUESTION: You are coming from a county where the people are voting for the president. Now there are similar discussions in Turkey – whether the people can chose the president or not. How do you evaluate these discussions?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I think it's an issue that's useful for Turkish citizens to talk about. Different democracies organize themselves in different ways. It's not for us to judge what's the most effective. There are things, aspects of our system that are more effective than other aspects. There are a variety of forms of democracy.  Turkey will have to arrive at its own.

QUESTION: Do you believe in Turkish democracy? What I mean is, do you believe that without any major problem Turkish democracy will be able to pass over all these discussions and [inaudible]?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I have a lot of confidence in Turkey. The United States has a lot of confidence in Turkey, in its institutions and the ability of its institutions and its people to see their way through to a sound and wise conclusion. I think the commitment to democratic values and to secular values was very clearly demonstrated in a variety of things that have taken place in the course of the last couple of weeks including the demonstration that took place in Ankara, or in Istanbul a couple of weeks ago.  These are good things. They speak well to the development of democratic values to which Turkey is strongly committed.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, I heard some comments that the Washington administration would like to cooperate again, one more term, with the present ruling party. Is that correct? Or are you ready to cooperate and be as close as possible with another coalition or another government?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: It's completely inappropriate for the United States or any foreign, any outside entity, to be involved in the partisan choices that Turks need to make for themselves and the selections that Turks need to make in their elections and in the constitutional processes here. We have worked effectively with this government over the last four and a half years. We worked effectively with its predecessors and I'm confident that we will work effectively with its successors, whatever shape that may take.

QUESTION: When I have an interview with the US Ambassador of course I should have some questions about the Iraqi issue. Now General Yasar Buyukanit has said almost two weeks ago that the Turkish army should make an operation in Northern Iraq but finally this should be the decision of the government and parliament. How would you evaluate this declaration about the necessity of the operation of the Turkish Army in Northern Iraq?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I don't want to parse General Buyukanit's words too much although I have great respect for him as a General and as an important leader in this country. I think that his remarks expressed the deep, deep frustration that is felt in military circles and throughout Turkish society with the problem of PKK terrorism that has gone on for 20 years and that has taken 35 – 37,000 lives and has become an increasing problem over the course of the last year and a half or two years as PKK terrorist violence has increased in scope and in its intensity. At the end of the day, the Turkish authorities, the Turkish government, the Turkish security forces [inaudible] protect and defend the Turkish people. We respect, as does General Buyukanit, the obligations of the political authorities here to make decisions on what's the best way to do that. We have been trying to pursue and are still trying to pursue collaborative work -- the United States and Turkey – and collaborative work – the United States, Turkey and Iraq – to deal with this problem. We're strongly committed to this. I hope that we will see some results soon.

QUESTION: Well, actually this was my follow up question. Can we expect some concrete steps from the US in northern Iraq concerning, against the PKK in the short term because the Turkish people are still expecting some concrete steps from the US administration. Is that possible in the short future?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: [inaudible] we are committed to this. I believe and I hope that there will be some concrete achievements that will both be effective in dealing with the problem of the PKK, especially in northern Iraq and will also show to the people of this country that the United States, a long-time ally, stands with Turkey and with the Turkish people in a difficult time.

QUESTION:  The terrorist organization PKK declared in the past that there will be some new attacks from the month of May. If there are such attacks what will be your position?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: The position of the United States with respect to PKK attacks in the past has been that we strongly condemn them. We strongly condemn PKK terrorism. That is why we are cooperating with Turkey in trying to fight it.

QUESTION: Well, the only problem concerning Iraq is not the terrorist organization PKK for Ankara. How about the referendum for Kirkuk? Do you expect that this referendum will be held as the Kurds would like to have sometime at the end of the year?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well the Iraqi constitution that was approved by Iraqi  voters late in 2005 puts forward a timetable for resolution of the status of Kirkuk. There are many aspects of the constitution and of Iraqi laws that have slipped a little bit in terms of their timing. I don’t know whether this will be one of those. It is our strong belief that Kirkuk should be dealt with by the Iraqi people in a way that advances reconciliation among the different elements of Iraqi society and does not detract from that. That is reflected in the kinds of discussions we are having with the Iraqi authorities on this. I think it’s also reflected in the kinds of conversations that Turkish authorities have had as well.

QUESTION: What is the possibility of having a referendum in Kirkuk this year?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well clearly in order to have a referendum there need to be some preparations that go along with this – the census needs to be concluded, the voter lists need to be concluded. Those are mechanical things, but they are important prerequisites. However Kirkuk at the end of the day is dealt with should be one that advances reconciliation. Whether that's…and how a referendum fits into that process I think is a very sensitive issue. It’s one at the end of the day the Iraqi authorities have to figure out. Iraq's friends, including the United States and Turkey among others, need to express their views and provide their advice to the Iraqi leadership.

QUESTION: Do you still believe that Iraq will be able to keep its territorial integrity, Mr. Ambassador? After so much violence, everyday more or less tens of people are dying in Iraq.

AMBASSADOR WILSON: The United States is strongly committed to the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. The Iraqi leadership that was elected by the people in December 2005 is strongly committed to the territorial integrity of Iraq and that includes all of the main leaders of that country, including the Iraqi Kurdish leadership in Baghdad and elsewhere.  Yes, there is terrible violence still going on in Iraq. Increasingly, or an increasingly large share of that violence is suicide bombers. These people are not Iraqi citizens by and large. They are foreigners who have been brought in by al-Qaeda in order specifically to upset and prevent whatever progress we are able to make in carrying out the Baghdad security plan and other steps that the Iraqi authorities with our help and with the help of others are trying to take to stabilize the situation there.

QUESTION: One more question, Iraq is not the only matter of concern for the US in the region. Iran is another very strong source of concern. Do you have any expectations from Turkey at the moment concerning the problems between Iran and the western world?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well I think Turkey continues to be helpful of our and other's efforts to try to achieve a negotiated solution to the problem of Iran's noncompliance with its international obligations on nuclear matters. The most recent example of this was the meeting that was hosted here by the government with Mr. Solana and Iranian representative Larijani. I don't have a lot of detail on those talks. They must have been useful enough that the two sides agreed to meet again in a couple of weeks. That's encouraging. That's the kind of role that I think Turkey can effectively play in helping to encourage the Iranians to come to the table to negotiate in good faith and take advantage of a very good offer that was put on the table last year.

QUESTION:  Last question. We started to talk first about the internal developing situation in Turkey and I would like to finish the interview with again an internal question. Some commentators claim that there is a risk of a coup d'etat in Turkey. Do you share this concern and if there is what would be the reaction of the US administration?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: As I said earlier, as [inaudible] democratic institutions and the ability of those democratic institutions to function effectively through compromise, through pragmatism, through work together to take this county forward in a constructive way. The State Department spokesman I think yesterday or the day before was very clear and specific in saying that we do not want to see any interference in the democratic process in this country and in the electoral process in this county and I don't expect that that will happen.

QUESTION: Thank you.

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Thank you.