Statements by U.S. Officials

Remarks by Robert S. Mueller Director, US Federal Bureau of Investigation Esenboga

Airport, Ankara December 9, 2005
 

Director Mueller:  Good afternoon everyone.  It’s a pleasure to be here. This is my first visit to Turkey, a long-time friend of the United States and a wonderful country.  It’s a pleasure to be able, finally, to visit Turkey.  I have just finished a number of meetings with my counterparts here in Ankara.  We discussed many of the areas in which were are working together.  We and the FBI value these opportunities in as much as they help to strengthen ties between our two countries.  It is important for all of us around the world in law enforcement to strengthen our ties and develop partnerships. These ties, these partnerships are absolutely essential to address terrorist organizations such as the PKK, and to address cyber-crime, organized crime, trafficking in persons, and narcotics trafficking.  It is through these partnerships that we will be successful in addressing these threats.  These meetings are only one part of the establishment and continuation of our relationship with our counterparts here in Turkey.  We have a legal attaché office here in Ankara.  It has been here for several years.  It is the hub of our relationship with our counterparts.  We also have a sub-office in Istanbul.  Through these meetings, through these partnerships, we will continue to address those threats to both of our countries, whether it be terrorism, cyber-crime, trafficking in narcotics, or trafficking in persons. I have enjoyed my stay here.  We have had very productive discussions.  It is yet another step in continuing our relationships. We have welcomed to the United States a number of my counterparts, and it was a pleasure for me to be able to reciprocate and visit them here.  And with that, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

Question: As you mentioned, Turkey is suffering from the PKK.  I would like to learn what conclusions you reached in your meetings today, and what is your plan for the PKK?

 

Director Mueller:  I met today with my counterparts at the TNP and the TNIO, and obviously the PKK was part of the discussions.  We are working with our counterparts elsewhere in Europe and around the country to address the PKK, and to work cooperatively to find and cut off financing to terrorist groups, whether it be the PKK, all-Qaida, or other terrorist groups along those lines.  So we had discussions about various areas in which we can continue our cooperation in addressing terrorist groups as a whole, and the PKK in particular.

 

Question: Do you think there will be international cooperation on the PKK issue, and when are we going to see concrete results?

 

Director Mueller:  Well I think over the years you have seen concrete results.  TNP and TNIO have done a very good job in addressing the PKK over the years, and we indeed have lessons to learn from the ways they have addressed terrorism over those years.  So there have been concrete results, and there will continue to be concrete result around the world, in Europe and elsewhere.

 

Question: What was your main demand from Turkey about al-Qaida?

 

Director Mueller:  It’s not a demand.  It’s developing relationships in which we exchange intelligence information and other information that enable us to work cooperatively together.  Crime in this day and age -- terrorism, narcotics trafficking, cyber-crime -- crosses borders exceptionally easily.  It is the relationships that we develop through  training, exchanges, and developing task forces that will enable us to be successful. We have had a long-standing relationship with the Turkish National Police.  I will tell you that right now they probably have close to 165 officers who are studying in the United States.  We have a National Academy in which we train officers, not only from the United States but from around the world.  The Turkish National Police have over the years sent a number of officers to that training academy.  It is the development of these relationships through visits, the development of personal relationships, development of training relationships, and exchanging intelligence information that will enable us to be successful.  Today was yet another chapter in developing and continuing that relationship. 

 

Question:  There is a claim that Saka, a suspect in the Hariri assassination, has been interrogated by US officials in Turkey.  Did you talk about this? 

 

Director Mueller:  No.  I have not had discussions on that.

 

Question:  What about the situation of Ibrahim Parlak?  Did you talk about it?

 

Director Mueller:  No.  I am not going to get into the details on that.

 

Question:  There have been reports that one of the issues you would take up with Turkish officials was the trafficking of nuclear materials into Syria and Iran through Turkey.  Did you discuss that?

 

Director Mueller:  That was an erroneous report.  Anything else?  OK.  Thank you very much.