TODAY'S ZAMAN
1 June 2010
Speaker of Turkish Parliament Mehmet Ali Şahin said Tuesday Turkey wanted peace in its region and in the world.
Şahin received Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) President Joao Soares and an accompanying delegation in Ankara on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters while receiving Soares, Şahin said that Turkey had no aim to be in quarrel with any country.
Nonetheless, it is a reality that we are going through a serious problem with Israel, Şahin underlined.
The OSCE PA plays a crucial role for dialogue between the East and the West since its establishment 18 years ago. It has an important mission in carrying democratic relations between OSCE member states to the level of parliaments. One of the important tasks of the OSCE is to observe elections. This raises confidence in elections. Turkey pays high attention to Asian countries and it would be beneficial to include them in the OSCE PA, Şahin said.
Racism and xenophobia still exist in many parts of the world. Innocent people suffer from such acts. We have an obligation to take a step in this field, Şahin said.
Joao Soares, in his part, said that the Republic of Turkey continued its policies based on the peaceful line introduced by its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
This line is being followed by the present leadership of Turkey, Soares stressed.
Turkey is a country that works for peace in its region and the world as a secular country, Soares said.
I want to express my appreciation of Turkey for the recent nuclear swap agreement with Iran, Soares underlined.
We follow Turkey-Armenia relations and favor a solution. Turkey could assume important roles for other countries in the Caucasus region, Soares said.
Reminded about his comments that the Turkish parliament might issue a declaration on Israel's attack of early Monday, Şahin said that political party groups at the Turkish parliament would have a chance to talk about Israel's attack on Tuesday.
I believe that it would be appropriate for the Turkish parliament to issue a declaration displaying our sensitivity on Israel's attacks at the end of group talks, Şahin said.
Issuing a declaration will be a decision of the Turkish parliament. As the speaker of parliament, I thought that it would be appropriate to issue such a declaration. It is at the discretion of the Turkish parliament to issue such a declaration, Şahin stressed.
Asked if the reactions to Israel were sufficient, Şahin said that many entities, including the United Nations Security Council and the European Union (EU), expressed their sensitivity.
What took place is completely a human tragedy. The attack on people carrying aid materials can in no way be accepted. International organizations and countries of the world must react so that similar acts are not repeated in the future, Şahin said.
In response to a question on future Turkey-Israel relations, Şahin said that "we want peace in our region and the world".
Turkey does not want to be in quarrel with any country. Nevertheless, there are certain rules and traditions in the development of international relations. All countries must abide by international agreements that they have signed or accepted. As long as countries act in accordance with international laws, our diplomatic relations with each of them shall continue. However, it is a reality that we are now experiencing a serious problem with Israel, Şahin also said.
