USIA Article: Turkey Tells Syria to Renounce PKK Terrorism Before Water Pact (96-05-21)
From: The U.S. Information Agency (USIA) Gopher <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>
Turkey Tells Syria to Renounce PKK Terrorism Before Water Pact
(Gonensay: Military Pact with Israel is not Against Anyone) (780)
By George S. Hishmeh
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- Turkish Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay said here May 21
that Syria must first renounce the terrorism launched from its
territory by a Kurdish separatist group, known as PKK or Kurdish
Workers Party, before it can expect to negotiate a water-sharing
agreement with Turkey.
At the same time, he also denied that Turkey's just-revealed military
training agreement -- "not a defense agreement" -- with Israel was
aimed at any other state in the region or elsewhere.
"Our foreign policy has not been expansionist and we have never
threatened any other country," he maintained. He also reported that
the foreign ministers of Iran and Egypt each visited him recently to
inquire about the pact and each went home satisfied. The foreign
minister stressed that the training agreement was a "blueprint" of at
least 18 others Turkey signed with other nations.
The Turkish foreign minister made his remarks in an appearance at the
Face-to-Face program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
during which he outlined his government's "strategic priorities."
During his stay in Washington, Gonensay has met with U.S. secretaries
of State and Defense, Warren Christopher and William Perry,
respectively, for talks on, among other things, Operation Provide
Comfort which was set up after the Gulf War in 1991 when Iraqi
strongman Saddam Hussein attempted to subdue rebellious Kurdish groups
in northern Iraq.
Under the operation, which was extended by Turkey in March for an
additional three months, U.S., British, French and Turkish planes fly
from a southeastern Turkish airbase to enforce the closure of airspace
over northern Iraq to Iraqi warplanes.
The operation is facing growing opposition in Turkey for fear that it
may have negative repercussions on Turkey's own Kurdish minority in
the region adjoining Iraq.
"We believe that Syria is a major supporter of PKK terrorism,"
Gonensay said in reply to a question, "in terms of logistics, bases,
financial support and arms."
Unless Syria renounced its support of PKK terrorism, he said it was
his government's position that "we cannot sit down and negotiate with
Syria about anything," including sharing the waters of the Euphrates
River which flows from Turkey into Syria and Iraq.
Gonensay maintained that, contrary to general belief, his government
has not used the water issue to pressure the Damascus government. "At
the moment we are giving Syria about seven times what they need ...
about 700-800 cubic meters per second."
He went on, "Their need is around 100 to 200 cubic meters per second.
We have a protocol with them to supply them a minimum of 500 cubic
meters per second. So what we are supplying is more than what the
protocol specified."
Gonensay said Turkey wants to negotiate a long-term agreement with
Syria provided a study is undertaken to determine the needs of each
country. Once such a determination is made, he added, Turkey is ready
to allocate water in accordance with the long-term agreement but, he
repeated, "terrorism must stop."
Syria has repeatedly denied it is supporting the PKK which is fighting
for a Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey.
The minister assured his audience that it is the Turkish government's
policy to support the extension of Operation Provide Comfort, but he
admitted publicly that it was nevertheless becoming "a major problem"
unless some "substantial changes" are introduced into the agreement in
order to satisfy Turkish domestic politics.
He attributed the pressure to the feeling which he shared that Turkey
was the second loser after Iraq in the Gulf War -- to the tune of some
$20,000 million in lost trade and revenues.
He also pointed out that there has been Turkish loss of life because
of the "fertile area" in northern Iraq for Kurdish terrorism as well
as the activity of PKK separatists from Syria, which, he noted, is the
target of continuing U.S. efforts vis-a-vis the Middle East peace
process.
But the Turkish public sees all this differently, Gonensay observed.
He also pointed to the "difficulties" in releasing some U.S. arms that
Turkey, a NATO ally, is seeking -- a reference to Congressional
opposition to releasing three frigates and a new consignment of Cobra
helicopters.
Gonensay said that the changes that should be introduced before
another extension would include:
- "some sort of guarantee that no political entity would be allowed
to develop in northern Iraq,
- "the territorial integrity of Iraq will be honored or guaranteed,
- "PKK terrorism will not be established,
- "a dialogue between Baghdad and Kurds in northern Iraq (under U.N.
auspices)."
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