Statements by U.S. Officials

Remarks by U.S. Senator John Warner Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee And Senator Carl Levin, Ranking Minority Member of the Armed Services Committee Following a Meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan at the Prime Ministry

Ankara, March 23, 2006

 

AMBASSADOR WILSON:  We are very happy to have had here in Turkey today a delegation from the United States Senate Armed Services Committee led by its Chairman, Senator John Warner from the state of Virginia. 

SENATOR WARNER:  Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador.  We have had a very warm welcome here in Turkey, first from the Parliament and now from the Prime Minister.  I am joined on this visit by my distinguished colleagues Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. Thomas of Wyoming, Mr. Sessions of Alabama, Mr. Bingaman of New Mexico, and Mr. Salazar from Colorado.  This delegation has just completed a two-day trip to Afghanistan, and a two-day trip to Iraq.  In both Afghanistan and Iraq, the people of those nations are struggling to achieve a measure of freedom and democracy such as you enjoy here in Turkey.  We thank the people of Turkey and its leadership for their contribution to help support those people in their quest for freedom.  The situation in Iraq is not a civil war, but it could become one unless there is continued support behind the people of Iraq as they are now forming their new government.  A civil war would be disastrous for the whole region, for this great nation, Turkey, and for the free world.  We cannot let that happen.  We are very assured through conversations this morning with your Parliament, and now with your Prime Minister, that they will continue in their efforts to urge the various factors in Iraq, most notably the Sunni faction, to join together and make the necessary compromises to achieve a unified government.  I repeat -- a unified government, such that all the people of Iraq can support their new government.  Each hour that goes by, each day that goes by, is critical.  It is now the time for Turkey and other nations in this region to step up and help the people of Iraq form this unified government.  Senator Levin.

SENATOR LEVIN:  First we thank the Prime Minister for his efforts to help bring about a unified political government in Iraq, and we express the very strong feeling that there is no purely military solution to the violence in Iraq, and that a political solution and a government of national unity is absolutely essential if that violence and terrorism is going to be ended.  We urge the Prime Minister to make more public and more pointed statements about the necessity of the leaders of Iraq to stop the stonewalling, to end the gridlock, and to come together politically.  We urged him to make public and pointed statements about the necessity of their doing so, and he committed to redouble his efforts to help produce a government of national unity in Iraq.  We were very gratified by his reassuring statements.  Now we will take a question or two.

QUESTION:  I have two questions.  One is about Iran.  You have said that you are here to talk not only about Iraq, but also Iran and Afghanistan.  What is your message to the Turkish authorities about Iran and Turkish policies?  Secondly, you said what is happening now in Iraq is not a civil war.  But tens of Iraqi people are being killed on the streets, and thousands of Iraqis have been killed since the start of the operation.  Iraq is not able to sell its own oil to international markets, and there is turmoil in the country.  What is civil war then?

SENATOR LEVIN:  The definition of civil war is open for everybody’s individual interpretation.  I say there is not a civil war.  Our ambassador there, Ambassador Khalilzad, who is a very capable individual and who understands this region much better than I, says there is not a civil war.  And our generals say there is not a civil war.  Two reasons:  first, the Government is coming together right now today as we are standing here.  They are having meetings, and they are beginning to function as elected representatives.  Secondly, the Iraqi army grows stronger every day.  It is fighting to preserve that government.  We see no indications of the Government falling, or that the Iraqi military is failing to carry out its duties to protect sovereignty in that nation.  Now as to Iran, we discussed that with your distinguished Prime Minister and with your parliamentarians.  There are problems associated with Iran, in particular their desire, perhaps, to build a nuclear weapon.  That is not in the interest of Turkey, and that is not in the interest of this region.  We continue to be helpful that an international consortium of the nations of Europe, together with the United States and others, will see that that will not happen.  Any other questions?  Thank you very much.