Ambassador's Remarks and Public Events

AMBASSADOR ROSS WILSON
INTERVIEW WITH KANAL D

Ankara, May 29, 2007

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, you are most welcome.  I would like to make one point very clear.  First of all was it an accident that the Turkish airspace was violated by the American plane? Was there any intended message?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  My information is that an accidental incursion into Turkish airspace occurred late last week, and it was definitely not intentional.  It was due to pilot error.  We have investigated the incident when it was brought to our attention by the Turkish authorities late last week.  We determined that a pilot error had been made.  We regret that.  The pilot is being dealt with in the appropriate manner by his commanding authorities. 

QUESTION:  Was there any investigation into the incident?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Again, my information is that this was entirely due to pilot error. When the pilot was in the far northern section of Iraq, he turned one way when he should have turned the other way, and that is really all that reflects.

QUESTION:  There were two pilots in two warplanes; did they make a mistake at the same time or was there a simultaneous mistake?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I’m afraid I don’t have that level of detail. When these planes fly in that kind of a formation, one plane has the lead, the other follows, and I think that’s what happened in this case. 

QUESTION: How long did they stay in Turkish airspace? The United States is saying it is one minute and (inaudible) are saying four minutes (inaudible).

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I don’t know that I want to get into an argument with the Turkish authorities on this issue.  The information that I received over the weekend from our Air Force people who of course also tracked this airplane is that it was in Turkish space for approximately one or perhaps two minutes.  The difference between two and four in my opinion is not great.  It was a violation of Turkish airspace; we recognize that.  We obviously respect the Turkish authorities for bringing it to our attention and complaining about it as we would if it had happened to us.  It was due to pilot error, and the pilot is being dealt with appropriately. 

QUESTION:  The Foreign Ministry has delivered a note (inaudible). How do you evaluate this note delivered by the Foreign Ministry?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The essence of the note is…was an effort by the Foreign Ministry to formally (inaudible) to ask that the matter be investigated and to ask that steps be taken to ensure that there not be a recurrence of a similar incident in the future.  And we most certainly have taken, are taking, will continue to take steps to make sure that it does not recur in the future.  This is not something we want to see.

QUESTION:  According to what you have said it is not necessary to attach great importance to this because it was a mistake (inaudible) but were you disturbed by the fact that it was on the website…and you have also complained to Mr. Saygun, the second person in the military?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I’m not sure I got all of the question and I most certainly did not complain to General Saygun about this.  I discussed it with him.  I believe it was a very simple and straightforward conversation and there were certainly no complaints on my part about the way that the Turkish authorities have handled this.  As I said earlier, it’s right, it’s normal, and it’s appropriate for a country to complain when its airspace is violated and to ask that steps be taken to ensure that similar violations don’t occur in the future.  That’s exactly what we’re doing. 

QUESTION:  United States is withdrawing from northern Iraq tomorrow.  So there are three important provinces –Suleymaniya, Dohuk and also Erbil - the Peshmergas will be taking control of those provinces tomorrow.  (inaudible) I would like to ask the question everybody has asked you, why are the United States soldiers withdrawing? Was it a surprise for you? Are there not going to be any American soldiers in the region from now on?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  This is definitely not a surprise for us.  It is in fact something we have been working on throughout Iraq over the course of the last year or more.  And that is turning over different sections of the country essentially controlled by coalition forces to the control of Iraqi security forces.  We have no long-term aim to stay in Iraq. What we want to be sure we’re doing to, the extent that we are there as we are focused on the (inaudible), and so what is happening now with respect to the Kurdistan Regional Government Authority -- or the area that that authority controls -- is that we are turning over responsibility for that region to the Iraqi security forces, as we have done elsewhere.  My understanding is that although some troops will be pulled out, there will continue to be a significant American presence in that region for some time.  Primary responsibility will be exercised by the Iraqi security forces. 

QUESTION:  So what does that mean because there are some comments on the issue? Are you saying to them they are going to handle the issue themselves for instance if Turkey wants to (inaudible) PKK, does this mean that Turkey will not be asking support from the United States regarding the issue?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Quite the contrary. I’m sure that Turkey will continue to ask for support by the United States on the PKK and that the United States will gladly provide that help to Turkey as a long-time friend and as an ally.  The principle address in Iraq for Turkey on dealing with the problem of the PKK in northern Iraq remains the central government in Baghdad.  We have of course for a long time encouraged some level of dialogue with the authorities in the north.  We think that that will be an important element to fully ending the presence of the PKK in northern Iraq and ensuring that northern Iraq isn’t a base from which this country is attacked.  But the address is in Baghdad, the responsibility for security in the northern part of the country belongs to the Iraqi security forces. 

QUESTION:  You’re showing Turkey as the address you’re showing the Baghdad Government, and you are withdrawing the forces but there are no longer going to be American soldiers saying that there is going to be some (inaudible).

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I think what we are doing is redeploying some number of our forces to other parts of Iraq where they are more urgently needed.  We all know that there is terrible violence that continues in Baghdad and in other parts of the country.  We want to focus our forces where they are most needed.  Again, to repeat what I said earlier this does not represent I believe a withdrawal of the United States from northern Iraq.  We will continue to have some level of forces there, but we will take the larger body and put them where they are more desperately needed. 

QUESTION:  I would like to focus on that point, because everybody would like to focus on that point that in some way Turkey won’t be dealing with the United States but the Baghdad government in the case of an intervention.  So I would like to ask you but time is limited…the region (inaudible) and any Turkish observation agreed upon Barzani and the US.  Could such an intervention be possible so that the American troops are withdrawing from northern Iraq?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I’m not sure I want to speculate too much about a possible intervention into northern Iraq.  What we’ve been doing with the authorities here in Ankara, and we’ve been trying also to do with the authorities in Baghdad is to develop a trilateral approach -- United States, Turkey and Iraq -- that can ensure that northern Iraq cannot be and will not be a base or a sanctuary for the PKK, and from which it can launch attacks against this country.  As I indicated earlier the primary address in this effort is in Baghdad.  There of course is a need for some level of dialogue with the authorities in the north which we have conducted.  We are confident that that approach can produce results.  Results are of course urgently needed.

QUESTION:  So Mr. Ambassador, after the assassination attempt in Ankara and all of the events and aspects the Turkish nation is really getting impatient.  And everybody is looking at the United States as a superpower, and they are expecting the United States to take concrete steps.  Could we say clearly that America is saying that we can’t do anything any longer, you need to resolve this issue with the Baghdad government, or will America be taking a concrete step in that direction?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I don’t think we’re really in the business of telling the authorities of Turkey what they can and cannot do to protect the people of this country.  We understand the obligation of any government and in particular a democratically elected government to protect its people, and to protect the welfare of this country.  Obviously we deeply, deeply regret and are horrified by the attack that took place in Ankara last Tuesday, the other incidents that have occurred in the days since then.  We all live in a world…today’s world is marked by terrorism almost everywhere.  It is very sad.  Countries have to work together and work more effectively in order to confront it.  There are a number of avenues that we are working on now with the authorities here in Ankara -- bilaterally United States and Turkey -- with respect to the PKK that I’m not in a position to discuss.  I’m hopeful that they will produce results.  I cannot tell you when; I cannot tell you whether they will produce results; I cannot tell you whether we will be able to talk about it, if they do.  I can say that we are committed, the United States is committed, at the highest levels to fully supporting the work of this country and of the people of this country to protect themselves against the terrible terrorist menace.

QUESTION:  The Prime Minister said on NTV television that there was going to be a concrete (inaudible).  We would like to hear from you that – leaving aside when it’s going to happen and what’s going to happen -- will we achieve a concrete result out of that?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The best thing I can tell you is that we are determined that we will achieve a result.  It’s important for the global fight against terrorism.  It is important for this country and its future and it’s obviously important for the alliance between our two countries which has gone on too long to allow terrorists in northern Iraq or terrorists anywhere else to disrupt our relationship.

QUESTION:  Ambassador Wilson, we’d like to thank you. You have also heard from the reports that the Turkish public is getting impatient and we have always seen the United States as a superpower and a reliable ally. We would like to thank you for yout attention, for taking the time to speak to us.  Thank you.