Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Friday said that instability in the region was the greatest threat to the region.
Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga International Airport prior to his departure for NATO Security Summit in the United States, President Gul said that “Turkey paid high attention to stability in neighboring countries”.
The preservation of stability is the task of those ruling in any country. The political crisis in Iraq is a sad occasion as a country rebuilding itself after a period of great unrest, Gul noted.
Asked about the contents of his meeting with Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the regional administration in north of Iraq, on Thursday, President Gul said that Turkey talked with all groups and political actors in Iraq.
We discussed the fight against terrorist organization PKK with Barzani, Gul stated.
There are many serious problems in Iraq. Since the beginning, we wanted to see an Iraq in peace with its own people and neighbors, Gul stressed.
Asked if the issue of Syria would come up in the United States and reminded about an interview Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave to a Russian TV channel, President Gul said that the problem was not one between Turkey and Syria.
The Syrian case is one between Syrian people and the administration. Events related to the humanity and human rights do not get limited to those countries where they take place. The Syrian issue is a concern to the international community, Gul also said.
Turkey hosts NATO early warning radar, shows importance it attaches to solidarity with alliance
Turkey’s president said on Friday that Turkey showed the importance it attached to solidarity with NATO by hosting early warning radar in Kurecik town of the eastern province of Malatya.
President Abdullah Gul said that heads of state and government of 60 countries as well as 28 NATO members would attend NATO Chicago summit.
“We will declare a missile defense capability which aims to eliminate risks and threats of proliferation of ballistic missiles,” Gul told reporters before he flew from Turkish capital Ankara to the United States.
Gul said NATO would also focus on what would be done after 2014, when the International Security Assistance Fund (ISAF) operation ended, and countries supporting the alliance operations would meet on the sidelines of the summit.
“Turkey will make active contribution to decisions to be taken at the Chicago Summit,” Gul said.
Gul said he would meet CEOs of leading U.S. companies and attend a conference on Turkey’s economy and foreign policy priorities during his stay in the United States.
President Gul will participate in a conference on leadership at the Stanford University, hold talks in the Silicon Valley, and interview with U.S. media organs during his visit.
Turkish president says Turkey should trust its national sources
Turkey’s president said on Friday that Turkey should trust its national sources when commenting on an intelligence discussion between Turkey and the United States.
President Abdullah Gul said Turkish people should trust statements of their government, concerned authorities, and the General Staff.
“We should trust our national sources. If the government, concerned authorities, the General Staff make a statement, we all should trust that,” Gul told reporters before flying to the United States.
Gul’s remarks came after U.S. Wall Street Journal wrote that the United States gave Turkey intelligence before Turkey staged an operation on a group of people sneaking into its territories in the southeastern town of Uludere that killed 34.
President Gul said Turkey was cooperating with the United States in countering terrorism, and making use of U.S. capabilities.
“Therefore, according to our statement, we got the preliminary intelligence from our sources, and I think it is not right to make such useless polemics,” Gul also said.
The Wall Street Journal tied the Uludere attack to U.S. military drone, and said that US Predator provided intelligence regarding the incident in Uludere town of Turkey’s southeastern province of Sirnak in which 34 citizens were killed by the jets of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on December 28, 2011.
AA
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