Turkey

This meeting is being held at a most difficult hour. The terrorist attacks carried out in New York and Washington, D.C., cast a long shadow over this session of the General Assembly. But we must stand united, drawing the right conclusions from this catastrophe. The date of 11 September has made it clear that terrorism is now humankind’s number-one enemy, and that it must be addressed with the utmost seriousness and determination. We share the American nation’s grief. We reiterate our full support to the United States Administration in its efforts to track down those responsible and to bring them to justice. As a country that has lost so many of its citizens to terrorism, Turkey deeply feels the grief of this tragic event. To combat terrorism efficiently and to develop a strong coalition of United Nations Members against terrorism, certain principles should guide our collective effort. First, terrorism does not have a religion or a geography, and there can be no justification for terrorist acts under any circumstances. Secondly, the use of double standards is the main obstacle to the fight against terrorism. Thirdly, we have to be conscious of the fact that terrorism is a global phenomenon. No ideal, no cause and no end can justify terrorism. We should avoid spurious justifications for deliberate killing. To identify terrorism with any religion is a sacrilege against all religions. We strongly condemn those who couple the name of a religion with a definition of terrorism or terrorists. To fight this dangerous trend, we fully support all initiatives aimed at dispelling these erroneous approaches. We commend the ongoing mutual efforts of the United Nations, as well as several other initiatives. In this context, Turkey has proposed an informal forum between members of, and aspirants to, the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to discuss, from a political perspective, issues pertaining to harmony among civilizations. We have the initial support of the relevant organizations and of several countries. We hope to hold this conference by February 2002. 9 Terrorism does not have a geography. The same terrorism manifests itself in different countries all over the world, both in the West and in the East. To be serious and effective, the anti-terrorist struggle has to be all-encompassing and deal with all terrorist centres, activities and logistics. It should address all countries that harbour and tolerate terrorism or that are indifferent to terrorist groups that incite or actively plan, finance or command terrorist operations executed in another country. Being drawn into the trap of double standards in defining or in dealing with terrorism inherently provides support for terrorism. Unfortunately, we have been witnessing several cases of double standards. I will try to give some views on this particular subject. There is an unfortunate de facto distinction made in the conceptual approaches of several countries between “bad” terrorists, who work against a particular country, and tolerated terrorists, who, while enjoying safe haven in the same country, incite, plan, finance and sometimes command terrorist acts in another. My country, as well as several others, has been victim of this double-standard approach. Groups implanted in foreign countries openly advocate the use of terrorist means under all sorts of pretexts. Their activities and messages — which call for violence, and sometimes for assassination — are freely propagated and are sometimes transmitted through the authorized media in their host countries. In short, acts and calls that would draw an immediate reaction if they were the acts and calls of indigenous terrorists targeting their own country are ignored and tolerated when they emanate from guest terrorists targeting their country of origin. This unfortunate distinction between terrorists that hurt others but not us and the prevailing double standards have to be overcome if we are serious about fighting terrorists. Terrorism is a global phenomenon that crosses borders, and the fight against it requires effective international cooperation. Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) in particular provides a clear road map regarding the steps to be taken. We hope that all Member States will fully comply with this groundbreaking resolution. The establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) is a major development. We welcome the joint declarations of 14 and 21 September 2001 by the European Union. Turkey aligned itself with both, and we expect their prompt and resolute implementation. The European Union is in the process of identifying terrorist organizations and their support networks. The list of terrorist organizations to be drawn up by the European Union must not be restricted only to the geographical area of its members. It should definitely include those groups that finance, plan and command terrorist activities in other countries. There is a drastic need for vigilance and further cooperation between the relevant authorities, namely, the justice and interior ministries of all countries. A drastic change in attitude is imperative. In order for it to be credible and effective, the anti-terror struggle has to be comprehensive and deal with all terrorist centres. It is also incumbent upon all United Nations Member States to adopt the existing international legislation and to review national laws accordingly. International efforts to combat terrorism cannot be fully effective in the absence of a global convention in this field. The draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism now under discussion in the working group established by the Sixth Committee seems to be our best chance to address this shortcoming. Although all participants have displayed remarkable flexibility, the working group has failed to resolve two central and interrelated issues: the definition of a terrorist offence and exclusions from the scope of the convention. I wish to take this opportunity to call upon all States to make an additional effort towards finalizing the convention. In combating terrorism, we cannot ignore the fact that this scourge feeds on deteriorating social, economic and political conditions. Illiteracy, destitution, bigotry, racism, social and political injustice and similar sources of grievance all play a role in creating fertile ground for terrorism. The gap between the richest and the least fortunate nations of the world keeps widening at an alarming pace. Threats such as illegal mass migration, corruption, drugs and arms smuggling, money laundering and other types of organized crime are on the increase. It is our collective responsibility to find lasting, viable solutions to these problems. Developing nations must focus on ways of achieving sustainable economic 10 growth, on improving income distribution, education and justice and on addressing other social needs. Developed nations must be more forthcoming in debt relief, must increase development and humanitarian aid and must allow greater access to their markets. Today, the United Nations and its Member States face a mutual challenge. The name of this challenge is Afghanistan, and it has two dimensions: to combat the terrorist network, which, by exploiting the Afghan people’s plight, has taken root in its geography; and to support the revival of Afghanistan, of the Afghan identity, by ensuring peace, stability and economic development. Turkey is resolutely committed to meet this challenge; we fully support the United Nations efforts and those of the Special Representative, Mr. Brahimi. Turkey worked together with the Afghan people from the 1920s to the 1960s; and it resumed cooperation again in the early 1990s. We believe that concerted international action, with sound principles and effective means, is of crucial importance. I will try to elaborate on some suggestions. First, it is the Afghan people themselves who will rebuild their identity and their country. Our task is to assist and support their efforts — not to dictate who will run their country, and how. In this respect, regional and tribal affinities should be encouraged to merge into a single Afghan identity and assume a secondary role as sub-cultures. This is capital for Afghanistan. Secondly, all countries, either neighbours of or involved in Afghanistan, should be discouraged from relying on particular Afghan groups as their primary allies and should refrain from pursuing their special interests through those groups. Thirdly, while the fight against terrorism and its supporters goes on, special care must be taken to ensure that innocent civilians are kept out of harm’s way. All humanitarian support should be provided, organized and facilitated. Fourthly, in regions and cities of Afghanistan freed from terrorist oppression, the United Nations and involved forces should act immediately to ensure security and relief. The success in providing for basic needs and displaying the ability to produce a better future will be paramount in expanding positive changes to other parts of the country. Setting a successful precedent would serve as the best catalyst. Fifthly, and finally, everyone seems to agree that the future administration and Government of Afghanistan should reflect all ethnicities. It should also encompass all political trends that have not resorted to terrorism. In this process, overemphasizing or undermining the role of any group in the country would be counterproductive. It is evident that in the process of rebuilding Afghanistan, the United Nations has to play a leading role. It is the duty of each and every Member State of the Organization to contribute to this gigantic task. I will touch upon one more issue, and the rest will be distributed in the paper that I have prepared. This last issue is: Cyprus. The Cyprus issue has remained for 38 years. This subject is one that is known to the United Nations. As the dates for some radical changes in Cyprus through the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral accession to the European Union seem to be suggested, and as Turkey considers these changes potentially dangerous for the two parties and for the whole region, this issue needs further attention. Any artificially imposed solution that is not mutually acceptable to both nations in the island and to the guarantor countries is bound to create a severe crisis. Turkey, as well as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), aspire to a mutually acceptable solution, sought through all possible means. A unilateral act by the Greek Cypriots, in violation of the 1959-1960 system, and pretending to represent both nations, contradicts the legal framework and the realities of Cyprus. The legal and practical realities do not permit any party in the island to decide unilaterally to enter any international body of which both Turkey and Greece are not members; and any such decision has to be taken mutually by the two co- founders. Through formal decisions of their parliaments and Governments, both Turkey and the TRNC have declared that they will not accept any solution that is not freely negotiated and mutually accepted. Both Turkey and the TRNC have also made it clear that they reject any such development, which would make the Turkish Cypriots a minority under Greek Cypriot rule. The Turkish Government will not allow the resurgence of a situation that in 1964 and 1974 caused massive crimes to be committed against the Turkish Cypriots. Turkey and the TRNC are for a solution based on the realities of the island. There are two distinct nations 11 with different religions, languages and cultures with two separate States and democracies in Cyprus. The confederation proposal of President Denktaş deserves serious consideration. We also support the Secretary- General’s Mission of Good Offices and his efforts to start a new phase of talks. In order to succeed, this initiative should depart from sufficient common ground. Turkey welcomes the recent proposal of President Denktaş to his Greek Cypriot counterpart that they get together informally, without any preconditions, and discuss all relevant issues in order to find a way forward. The refusal of the Greek Cypriot party is in no one’s interest. The tragedy of 11 September can be viewed as an omen of what can happen if the slightest carelessness is shown towards any of the old and new threats the world faces in the modern age, be they terrorism, environment or poverty. All I have said points to the need for the strong commitment of Member countries to efforts aimed at the shaping of a better future. I point as well to the need to strengthen and streamline the United Nations, with all its principal organs. This General Assembly session of 2001 is a meaningful link in the chain which the international community has forged to meet the growing challenges of the new century. With realism and courage we shall succeed.