AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS AND PUBLIC EVENTS

AMBASSADOR ROSS WILSON

Speaks with
Osman Sert, CNN-Turk

October 8, 2007
Ankara

 

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador thank you very much for joining us on a very critical day. I want to start with the PKK attacks in Sirnak. The first question: did you make any contacts after the attacks happened?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I’ve not spoken with Turkish officials today, no. I heard the news last night and I was in touch with Washington about it immediately.

QUESTION: You know again the cross-border operation is on the agenda of Turkey. For a long time Turkey has been discussing this and the American attitude is the same: it is not a good option. Is your position still the same for cross-border operation after more than 20 Turkish citizens lost their lives within two weeks?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: I think it is fair to say that our position has not changed on that matter. We believe that our countries have got to work together constructively in a variety of ways including through vigorous and effective security steps that our security forces can take -- the United States, Turkey and Iraq -- together to deal with this problem.

QUESTION: But you know the expectation in the Turkish public is very high. Even the newspaper headlines are very clear. A cross-border operation is the solution. Do you think it will be a solution?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well I think that is something that the Turkish authorities will have to take into account as they calculate how best to deal with this terrible tragedy that the United States condemns, that the whole world should condemn, and all the Turkish citizens should condemn. Clearly fighting terrorists, fighting terrorism requires many different strands of effective policy -- both international steps and steps within one's own country. General Basbug spoke about that in his remarks to the War Academy a week or two ago. Others have spoken on this as well. Clearly it is important to go after terrorists, to defeat them and deprive them of the ability to strike fear and terror among our people.

QUESTION: Do you think it is legitimate for the Turkish military to go after the PKK militants after such an attack into northern Iraq?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: As I said earlier I think our position with respect to actions cross the border has not changed. It’s very important that we all do want we can to support the territorial integrity of Iraq and the unity of Iraq, which is a key objective of the United States. And I think also a key objective of Turkey (inaudible).

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, if such an attack happened from Mexico or Canada, and more than 25 American citizens were killed by a terrorist organization how would Washington react?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Well I'm not going to discuss hypotheticals. All governments in the world have an obligation to go after terrorists and do everything they can to defeat them, to work together with other countries, like-minded countries, who share similar values and similar goals. Turkey, Iraq and the United States all share the same goals with respect to the PKK. That was reaffirmed, among Turkey and Iraq at least, just two weeks ago in what we think is a strong and potentially very effective agreement among the two countries that establishes a way forward to help to defeat the PKK and to defeat other terrorist groups that are endangering Iraq and endangering Turkey.

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador, Turkey has some expectations from, yes, this agreement from the Baghdad Government. Northern Iraqi authorities, the Kurdish regional government, has the authority in this part and they are not cooperating. At least it is the perception of Turkish authorities, but we know that Mr. Bush gave a call to Mr. Barzani. What do you think -- the Kurdish authorities are not taking Americans into consideration?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The Kurdish authorities in the northern part of Iraq very much have a serious responsibility to deal with this problem. The United States has been pressing them very (inaudible) to take more effective action. We hope and expect that they will.

QUESTION: When?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I can’t answer that question.

QUESTION:  But this is a very important question because, for instance, the special representatives for the coordinators to combat terrorism and the opposition at the time of this proposal, they were saying in Turkey that this is just a waste of time. And unfortunately today when we are looking back one year, there are not so many visible achievements. What do you think about it?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Well, obviously what took place yesterday and there are other incidents I gather elsewhere in Turkey and the course of the last 24 – 48 hours, it’s a terrible tragedy. We condemn it, and it is a reminder to all of us that we need to take more effective steps against the PKK and frankly against other terrorist groups that harm our peoples. We have embarked over the course of the last year or so, on a number of important new initiatives. General Joe Ralston our special envoy for countering the PKK has been responsible for those initiatives. When they will produce results, what results they will produce and what of those results the Turkish people will be able to see -- in the nature of counter terrorism activity, a lot of things are not visible -- I can’t tell you. I certainly expect that those steps will be successful and fruitful and I hope that they will.

QUESTION: Some American diplomats are saying on background, yes, Turkey has the right from the international agreements to make some operations to protect itself. But it may have some costs if they enter into northern Iraq. What kind of cost do they mean?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Well, I do not want to speculate too much about some specific costs. I would state this in a positive manner. Turkey has a great stake -- at least as much of a stake as the United States does -- in a strong, secure, unified Iraq and a stable Iraq on its southern border. How our countries work together to achieve that, to support the work of the Iraqi authorities to achieve that, is something that is central to American policy regarding Iraq and regarding Turkey. To re-state this, the work that we do with Turkey, to help make Iraq succeed is probably the most important work that my mission here is involved in. It’s hard, it’s complicated. One fruit of our efforts I think specifically on the PKK was this Counter-Terrorism Agreement that I mentioned earlier. Another is the Istanbul Ministerial that will take place in one month’s time. That continues a process really that Turkey began to work with its neighbors and Iraq’s neighbors and to work with others around the world to support the Iraqi government, to help it succeed, to help a strong unified and secure Iraq succeed.

QUESTION: Then it will have a cost, but you do not want to talk about it. Regarding the division of Iraq into three, there is such a proposal in the American Congress. To what extent is this reality in the American administration's mind? What do you think about these proposals?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: The administration and the president don’t regard this is as a reality at all. The White House has denounced the step that the United States Senate took in passing a resolution on this issue. Our Embassy in Baghdad put out a strong statement and one of the interesting things is that most of the Iraqi leaders also denounced this, among other things, saying it was none of the business of the United States Congress to decide how Iraqis should organize their country. What we want, what the Iraqi leadership wants is a strong, stable, secure and unified country. That’s what we are working for and it is attainable.

QUESTION: Regarding the American guns that are being used by PKK and the other organizations, there was a delegation coming from Washington to Ankara. What is the result and when will see the end of this investigation?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: We’ve been working on this problem for some time. The basic facts are that a certain amount of the small arms that we have provided to the Iraqi security forces has apparently been diverted into what amounts to a black market in arms in that country. I can’t tell you what, how much or what the numbers are. Some numbers that have been in the press have been somewhat inflated. Turkey has raised concerns about weapons that it believes we may have supplied to the Iraqi authorities going back two years and even longer, concerns about the diversion of weapons and the fact that a number of them were showing up in this country. We took those concerns very seriously; we have worked closely with the Turkish authorities and made a lot of use of information supplied by the Turkish authorities. What we are doing now is to complete an investigation in Iraq as to how these weapons were diverted, who is responsible for that, and there is a criminal investigation going on in that connection, and most important how we can prevent such diversion in the future and how the Iraqi authorities can prevent such diversion in the future.

QUESTION: Regarding the Iraqi authorities, real authority on the ground, Turkey made a security treaty with the Iraqi Government. To what extent do you see that without the American contribution, the Baghdad Government will be able to manage to apply these agreements?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Well clearly the authorities in Baghdad have got a number of challenges on their hands. That’s been obvious to anybody that’s looked at Iraq over the course of the last couple of years. The United States provides assistance to them in a variety of areas including with respect to terrorism and security matters especially. The specifics regarding the implementation of this agreement I think are being discussed primarily by Turkish and Iraqi authorities directly. Where we can be helpful either with Turkey and or directly to the Iraqi authorities, I’m sure that we are quite ready to be helpful in any appropriate way.

QUESTION:  I want to pass to the other issue. Within a few days the American House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee will vote about the Armenian Genocide Resolution. What do you expect? Do you think this resolution will pass through the committee?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  The Bush Administration strongly opposes this measure. We have been working since early in 2007 and especially over the course of the last week or ten days to try to do everything we can to persuade members of Congress and especially members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee not to approve this measure. I’ve been on the phone with many members of Congress. The President and Secretary Rice have been on the phone with many members of Congress and lots of people between us have also been working very hard, as effectively as we can. I would not want to predict what the United States Congress or what the Committee may ultimately do. We will find out on Wednesday. Two things will not change. American policy on this issue will not change. Under our Constitution it is the president who is responsible for foreign policy, not the House of Representatives or the United States Congress. And second, the imperative for our countries to work closely together on vital common interests will not change. Whether it is Iraq or Iran, or the Middle East, or the Caucuses, the Black Sea, Cyprus, the Balkans, terrorism, Afghanistan, all these are areas where we have to work together. And frankly they are among the reasons why we are concerned about the passage of this resolution.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, it is right that you cannot predict what will happen on Wednesday. But as a diplomat, as the Ambassador of the United States in Ankara, you need to prepare some contingency plans. If this resolution passes, not only from the committee, but also from the House of Representatives, what kind of damage will the relations take?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I do not want to speculate too much on specifics. Clearly we would not be opposing this resolution if we were not concerned, among other things, concerned about the potential damage to American interests and to the ability of the United States and Turkey to work closely and effectively together in all of these different areas. The Turkish authorities will have to make their own calculations of how they intend to proceed should this go through. We are determined to try to do every thing we can so that this resolution does not pass.

QUESTION: You do not want to speculate, but the Turkish officials for instance Egemen Bagis, AK Party's responsible man for international relations, made a statement for the newspaper today that if this resolution passes then it will be impossible for Turkey to maintain the logistic support to American troops in Iraq, to Incirlik. It may be closed down. What do you think about this?

AMBASSADOR WILSON: Again, I do not want to speculate too much on specifics. I think that in most of the areas where our countries are working together the facilities that are made available for us at Incirlik, the ability to transit material and supplies, non-lethal material and supplies, across Turkey into Iraq for the Iraqi people, for our personnel there, those things are important to us. My assumption and belief is that Turkey would not have made those things possible for us unless they decided that it was in their own interest to do that. Turkey has a strong interest, as I said earlier, in a stable, successful, unified Iraq. That isn’t going to change just because of what one House of Congress does. Turkey will have to make its own calculations about the steps that it takes. We need to be able to continue to work together on these common vital interests.

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador you told that you want to continue the cooperation in Iraq and Cyprus, in Afghanistan, in EU affairs. We all know that. But, you know the anti-American feelings are also at high levels, most probably the highest levels in Turkey. And after such a bad, unfortunate thing happens how can the Turkish Government react against the public pressure on it and to continue the cooperation with the United Sates?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Well, I think that is probably a question better addressed to the Turkish authorities than to us. Governments, of course, in any country, including in my own, have to make calculations about what’s in the national interest of their country and of their people. Sometimes, as in my own country, that requires governments to do things maybe that are not immediately popular or don’t command widespread acceptance. Turkey will have to make its own conclusions, draw its own conclusions. We think it’s critically important that we be able to continue to cooperate on our common, vital interests, of which there are many.

QUESTION:  And just I want to touch upon another popular discussion in Turkey regarding whether the United States perceives Turkey as a moderate Islam model for the other Islamic countries. What is your comment on that? How do you see the discussions in Turkey regarding this issue?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Turkey is a democratic secular model for countries in the region and frankly for a lot of countries outside this region and other parts of the world that have little or nothing to do with Turkey or with the Middle East. Turkey happens to be a country with an overwhelming majority Muslim population. That is a fact. I dislike terms like moderate Islam. I think they have little to do with the reality that exists in this country. This is a strong, secure, stable, prosperous and highly successful democratic secular country, society. Turks have accomplished an immense amount over the past 80 or 90 years. We hope that that continues, we hope that that model of success is one that other countries can find to be an inspiration and as an example as they go about trying to devise their own strategies for success.

QUESTION:  Regarding the new government and new president’s planned visit to Washington, if we are not wrong the prime minister will visit Washington on the 5th of November and then maybe the president. What kind of a planning are you working on?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  I think decisions and announcements in particular about visits by the prime minister and President Gul to the United States will be made by the appropriate authorities at the appropriate time -- The White House and the Prime Ministry or the Presidency will have to coordinate on this. In the wake of the successful elections here in July and then of the president in August, a number of us felt that it was important to try to get off to a quick start with the Turkish authorities on these many vital common interests that we have -- in particular looking toward Iraq and this Iraq Conference, looking toward a Middle East Peace Conference that will take place in the second half of November in the United States, making use of a good personal relationships among our leaders and strong common interests among our two countries to find ways that we can work together to support the right kinds of progress on Iraq, in the Middle East and elsewhere in the region and in the world.

QUESTION:  Will Turkey be at the table for the meeting of the Middle East peace process?

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Decisions about exactly who is going to be invited to this conference will be made, I assume, in the coming number of days. Announcements about who will participate will be made out of Washington or elsewhere in the region.

QUESTION:  Mr. Ambassador thank you very much for joining us.

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  Thank you.