Statements by U.S. Officials

Remarks by Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, Following His Meetings at the Foreign Ministry

August 25, 2005

 

DAS BRYZA: Thank you all for being here. I am sorry we are a little late coming out. We have had such long, fruitful discussions with our Turkish partners that we have more to say than we planned for, which is very positive. This has been a great day of meetings, following up on when I was here three weeks ago and a lot of work we have done since then in Washington. I feel a very warm sprit in our relationship with Turkey. It reminds me of the days when we worked together on Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, where we were working so closely together, and we knew we shared our strategic interests. We knew, as we know now, that sometimes there are tactical differences in our approach, but strategically we are pulling in the same direction. In many ways our relationship feels sort of like a diamond with so many facets, so many pieces shining positive and leading to common solutions to the problems that we face together. So today the reason I was here was to further our agreement with the Turkish Government on the strategic vision that we share. Then, we are looking for ways to transform that strategic vision from words into actions through working groups and through joint projects that will have results that are concrete and visible to everyone. So what are some of those issues? Of course Iraq -- the future of a sovereign, unified Iraq free from terrorism, that is democratic, prosperous, and at peace with its neighbors. We spent a lot of time talking about Turkey’s EU aspirations and Turkey’s rightful place as a full member of Europe. In that context, we spent much time talking about the Cyprus issue and how to advance a comprehensive settlement that is just and lasting. We talked a bit about the Caucasus and the Black Sea Region, and our shared interest on security matters in the Caucasus, our shared interest in energy -- meaning Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Shah Deniz gas. We talked about how to expand commercial competition on Caspian oil and gas into the rest of Europe, building on the strong relationship of Turkey and Greece, and the pipeline that connects the Turkish gas grid with the Greek gas grid. We talked about the Broader Middle East and Central Asia, and Turkey’s unique experience -- not as a model, because Turkey’s historical experience is unique, and there will never be another Kemal Ataturk -- but Turkey’s ability to inspire the countries of the Broader Middle East and Central Asia. We talked about building on Turkey’s 150 years of reform from the Tanzimat period, through Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s period, through the Turgut Ozal period when reforms accelerated again, and now, today, with prospects of EU accession stimulating new energy in Turkey’s modernizing, democratizing economic reforms, which we think can inspire people in that broad area stretching from North Africa through the traditional Middle East into Central Asia. Turkey is not a model, but an example of how people can do things the right way. I spent time with many of your senior officials today. It began with Foreign Minister Gul this morning, and just finished now with Ambassador Apakan, Ambassador Uzumcu, and a large team of senior Foreign Ministry officials that cover the full range of topics I just outlined. So we have had a lot to say to each other today, in a very positive spirit. I feel very good about the fact that we have put all of the tensions that many people observed in the relationship behind us. People talk about strategic partnership or cooperation on strategic issues. I don’t think it really matters how we term this relationship. It is a partnership on strategic issues. Finally, I should say something about Iraq and PKK. It is probably the most urgent issue we face besides Turkey’s relations with the EU. The PKK is a problem for Turkey, for the United States, and for Iraq. It is our shared problem. We are fully, wholly committed to doing all we can to eliminate the terrorist presence of the PKK, whether it is in Iraq or in Europe. I had the honor to chair the US-Turkey-Iraq trilateral discussions on the PKK and counterterrorism about a month ago. It didn’t always receive fully positive coverage here in Turkey, but I can tell you as the person who led the discussions that we made a lot of progress in building concrete cooperation between the courts and the legal authorities and other organizations in all three of our countries to begin to make quicker progress in eliminating the PKK problem. All three of our governments – Turkey, the United States, Iraq – agree that all of our actions in Iraq need to proceed from the premise that our shared goal is a unified Iraq -- a unified Iraq with a sovereign government that is sovereign in terms of the constitution of Iraq, and sovereign in terms of the territory of Iraq. So everything we do needs to strengthen the sovereignty of the Iraqi Government. If our actions undermine the sovereignty of the Iraqi Government, we play right into the political forces that would favor a separation of a unified Iraq. So everything we do in dealing with the PKK must proceed from a sovereign Iraqi Government dealing with a sovereign Turkish Government, with the United States facilitating, assisting every way we can – diplomatically, with law enforcement, and security as well. I have one more to say about cooperation against the PKK in Europe. We have developed a plan in the last few weeks since I was last here, or we have advanced that plan I should say, to begin concrete law enforcement operations against suspects who are either PKK operatives or supporters in Europe. We have developed a set of suspects. We are working with our European friends and with the Turkish Government on apprehending them, bringing them to justice. To succeed, the US Government and the Turkish Government need to cooperate even more in sharing information and working with our European friends, who understand fully how urgent this problem is. Thank you very much. I am willing to take any questions you may have.

QUESTION: Mr. Bryza, maybe the first question, as during your first, is on the PKK. You are talking about converting words into actions. I cannot remember the number of American diplomats who have said that the PKK is our main concern with Turkey. I think Generals Jones and Abizaid will come to Turkey soon. What about the timing of these visits, and after these visits, can we see some actions from the United States on the PKK in Iraq?

DAS BRYZA: Sure. Well, there are actions already US actions with the Iraqi Government against the PKK in Iraq. Generals Jones and Abizaid, when they come, will be able to provide more detail. But let me say that it is important to conceive of the PKK, as I said before, as a problem that we all have to work together to resolve, but the primary action needs to be between the sovereign Government of Turkey and the sovereign Government of Iraq. If the United States were the only entity or body charged with fixing the problem, we would undermine the sovereignty of the Iraqi Government, and that, then, undermines the unity of Iraq. There is no button that we can push, as you say in Turkish, magically to resolve the problem. It is a complex problem. The Turkish military is one of the most capable militaries in the world. It has been struggling with this problem, as has our military, which is one the most capable military bodies in the world. Military solutions are not the entire answer to the PKK. It is a part of the problem. Law enforcement is part of the problem. Cutting off the funding sources to the PKK is part of the problem. For whatever reasons, we hadn’t worked on those other aspects of the problem as actively as we are now. I can’t explain why it was that way in the past. I can just tell you now that we are working very actively on all of these aspects of the PKK problem – social, economic, criminal, counterterrorist. I can’t possibly predict when certain results will take place. Much of what has to happen between the governments of Turkey and Iraq involves coordinating the flow of information so that the Iraqi authorities have a better idea of who to arrest, of what the legal justifications or reasons are to arrest these people. It requires the law enforcement bodies, the police, the ministries of justice of Turkey and Iraq to work more closely together. It is only through that kind of cooperation over time that we begin to see the real concrete results on the ground in Iraq, as well as in Europe.

QUESTION: Do you expect an operation from the Iraqi Government against the PKK in the short run? As a second question, you visited the Diyanet today. How should we see this visit? Is it because Turkey is an example for the Muslim world, or what is it about?

DAS BRYZA: Sure, thank you, great question. I will start with the Diyanet, if I may. The Diyanet is a fascinating organization that, like many aspects of Turkish society and Government, provides an inspiring example of how a country that is a secular democracy with a predominantly Muslim population and society, can promote interreligious dialogue and religious pluralism, while at the same time working against extremism. That is a very difficult balance. I would argue that neither the Diyanet nor any organization in the world has the perfect solution to this set of issues. It is a very complicated problem. But I think that in Europe, where Tony Blair has provided such powerful leadership in guiding all of us to the realization that the problem these days is not only terrorist actions, it is the way people think -- the extremism, and the tolerance of intolerance -- that needs to be combated as well as fighting actual terrorists. There is an ideological problem that we have to face, and we have to address. Part of the problem is the training is the training of imams. We Americans don’t have the authority or the insights to even contemplate how to train imams. What do we know about that? We don’t know how to do that. The Diyanet does know what to do. Our goal is to work with our allies in Turkey, and our allies in Europe as well, to help those populations in Europe who have immigrated from Turkey, or from Morocco, from Algeria, that become disconnected with their own traditions – their traditions of tolerant faith and scientific learning -- that provide a natural shield against extremism. The Diyanet can help the governments in Europe as well as us figure out how to help these newly arrived Muslim populations reestablish their links with their own traditions. That is what I think the Diyanet can do. How to do that requires a lot of discussion with the Diyanet, with the Turkish Government, and with our European partners.

On your second question, we certainly hope there will be such actions -- arrests, legal proceedings, those sorts of counterterrorist operations – and we anticipate the Iraqi Government will follow up on what it has pledged to do. But for that to happen, there is a lot that Turkey can do to provide the necessary information and encouragement directly with the Iraqi Government, which we also do. So if you want me to predict when such actions might take place, I can’t. I don’t know. We have to do our homework, lay the foundation step by step, and build the situation in which those actions can take place. Again, there is no magic button we can push to fix the problem. We have to prepare ourselves together. Thank you very much for your patience. Thank you for your support. Thank you for being here today.