Turkey

It is a great pleasure for me to congratulate Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I am confident that under his able leadership, the work of the fifty- second session of the General Assembly will be a success. I should also like to express our appreciation to Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia for the way in which he presided over the General Assembly during its previous session. I also express my warm congratulations to His Excellency Kofi Annan on his election to the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations. The relative euphoria created by the end of the cold war is being replaced by a sense of realism. Although the possibility of a global confrontation has been considerably reduced, ensuring security and preserving stability continue to be a major concern for the international community. We are witnessing the eruption of conflicts and serious tensions of a regional character as well as within individual States. Critical disparities in economic and social conditions exist around the globe. Large segments of the world’s population live in conditions of dire poverty. Achieving sustainable development remains a great challenge for the world community. On the other hand, the contemporary values we share, such as democracy, pluralism, tolerance, human rights and gender equality, require constant attention and effort. 14 Against this backdrop, international and regional organizations and, in particular, the United Nations, are in the process of redefining their role and functions in order to cope with new realities and challenges. The discussions and recent efforts to reform the United Nations have produced creative recommendations. Here, I wish to congratulate the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report. The far-reaching and substantive reform programme proposed therein satisfies our expectations. We strongly support the reform programme. On the other hand, we also share the serious concerns of the Secretary-General with regard to the need to put the Organization on a sound financial basis. We commend the Secretary-General for attaching the highest priority to the goals of alleviating poverty and enhancing development. This is indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security, both within and among nations. In this context, we appreciate the approach taken by the Secretary-General that the envisaged coordination of the Development Group must be done so as not to weaken in any way the authority and independence of the institutions in question, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in particular. Making human rights an integral part of all relevant United Nations operations is also a commendable goal. We are pleased to see an eminent personality at the head of United Nations activities in the human rights field. The fiftieth anniversary, in 1998, of the adoption by the General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will provide the opportunity to reiterate our commitment to promote human rights all over the world. Elevating the standard of human rights to its highest level is the foremost duty and obligation of each State towards its own people. I should like to draw attention to the human rights problems and to the discrimination faced in particular by migrant workers and their families in some developed countries. The protection and promotion of their human, economic, social, cultural and political rights are matters of major concern in the human rights field. In this respect, Turkey supports the idea of a world conference on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. It would be a milestone in the decades- long struggle waged by the United Nations against racism and racial discrimination. Turkey also supports the efforts envisaged in the reform programme to enhance the capabilities of the United Nations to deal with transnational organized crime, narcotics and terrorism. One of the most important threats our world faces today is problems related to drug abuse. The special session of the United Nations to be held next year will enable us to chart the way for the new measures that must be taken in view of the threat posed by drug trafficking. The scourge of our age, no doubt, is terrorism. It is a threat to human rights and democratic institutions. It violates the most fundamental of all human rights: the right to life. It does not recognize boundaries. International cooperation is imperative in the fight against terrorism, and countries that refrain from participating in this cooperation must be condemned by the international community. We believe that the time has come to draft a global treaty on combating terrorism. In the same vein, we think that terrorist crimes should be included within the competence of the international criminal court that is to be established. The Secretary-General has proposed significant measures that bring the arms-control agenda to the forefront of multilateral cooperation. Renewed emphasis should be placed on the work of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, with a view to ending production of fissile material for weapons purposes. The United Nations Register of Conventional Arms should become an effective tool for monitoring arms transfers. Likewise, the international community should exert vigorous efforts to end illicit arms trafficking as a key element in the international struggle against terrorism. Peacekeeping stands out as one of the most significant undertakings of the United Nations. The development of the peacekeeping capability of the United Nations remains a pressing need, and one that Turkey supports wholeheartedly. Turkey has taken part, and continues to participate, in several peacekeeping operations. The ongoing work aimed at improving the representative character of the Security Council, increasing the Council’s effectiveness and efficiency and adapting it to current realities of the international community is of particular importance. Reform of the Security Council constitutes the most serious attempt in years to enhance the role and moral authority not only of the Council, but also of the United Nations as a world organization. 15 We have to ensure that the envisaged enlargement and future composition of the Security Council will correspond to the expectations of the largest possible segment of the United Nations membership. The reform process has to take into consideration the fundamental changes which have taken place on the international scene and recognize the ability and readiness of a group of States to assume a greater and more effective role. These States should be given the opportunity to serve on the Security Council more frequently and on a more regular basis. Security Council reform is too important to be tied to the settlement of other issues; it must satisfy the general membership and enhance the role and authority of the Organization. Located at the crossroads of three continents and several regions, including the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Mediterranean and Central Asia, Turkey stands ready to play an even greater role in the maintenance of peace, security and stability in its wider region. Today, the historical and cultural attributes of this vast geography, more than ever, find expression in Turkey’s foreign policy in terms of hopes and opportunities. A return to normalcy in Iraq and its reintegration with the international community are of vital importance for all countries of the region. Turkey supports the preservation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. Turkey has been fully complying with the United Nations sanctions regime imposed on Iraq. On the other hand, it is a fact that the sanctions have also produced totally unforeseen and negative effects on the economies of third countries as well as on the economy of Iraq. Turkey stands at the forefront of those countries which have been directly and most adversely affected by the sanctions regime. This unacceptable situation reminds us of the very pertinent remark of the former Secretary-General that “Sanctions are a measure taken collectively by the United Nations to maintain or restore international peace and security. The costs involved ... should be borne ... by all Member States and not exclusively by the few who have the misfortune to be neighbours or major economic partners of the target country.” [A/50/60, para. 73] We expect the Security Council to expeditiously consider Turkey’s application to the sanctions committee, and to take appropriate action. The Middle East peace process has been the single most important positive development in that fragile region in the recent past. However, events have recently taken, rather unexpectedly, an unfortunate and dangerous turn. Israeli settlement activities in the occupied territories, carried out despite the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and despite the provisions of the peace accords, and abhorrent terrorist activities by the enemies of peace have placed the peace process under a very severe strain. We urge the parties to do their utmost to establish mutual trust, without which it will be impossible to attain the objectives of the peace process. Afghanistan is another conflict area where the international community has so far been unable to help bring about a just and lasting solution. At present, even the national unity of the Afghan people is at stake. It is most unfortunate that the warring factions have been fervently pursuing the military option. Regrettably, one of the major obstacles to convincing the factions that a military solution is unattainable is the continuing supply of weapons, equipment and ammunition, along with military involvement from outside. My country has close historical ties with Afghanistan and the Afghan people. We feel very strongly about the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan. Taking this opportunity, I wish to reiterate Turkey’s readiness to host, in cooperation with the United Nations, an intra-Afghan meeting if and when all the parties are ready to participate. Turkey attaches particular importance to bringing its historical, close relations of friendship and cooperation with Balkan countries to the highest level. We support the multilateral initiatives aimed at securing peace, stability and cooperation in South-East Europe. Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to be a focus of the international community. The preservation of the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a continuing responsibility undertaken by the United Nations. The full implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement has not yet been secured. While the Federation has been working hard to implement the Peace Agreement, other quarters have been obstructing the whole process. The successful effort in July on the part of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) to apprehend and bring before the Tribunal war crimes suspects who remain at large was a commendable move. In order to achieve reconciliation and ensure peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is essential to prove that crimes committed will not go unpunished. The return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes constitutes another 16 essential element for achieving lasting peace and stability in the country. SFOR, to which my country is a troop contributor, has played a significant role in Bosnia for the maintenance of peace and order since the signing of the Peace Agreement. We believe that the continued presence of an international force in the area is crucial for durable peace. Albania and its people have passed through very difficult times. Ensuring internal peace and stability in Albania was a prerequisite for the preservation of peace and stability in the whole region. The multinational protection force, in which, again, my country took part, succeeded in restoring stability and order in the country. It was thus possible for the Albanian people to hold the parliamentary elections that paved the way for the resolution of the crisis. However, Albania still faces a difficult road on the way to full administrative, social and economic recovery. The need for concerted international support remains. Sharing close historical and cultural ties with the Albanian people, Turkey will continue to be of support to Albania. In our relations with Greece, our principal objective is to promptly tackle, through a substantive and result-oriented dialogue, the issues, mostly related to the Aegean, that still stand between our two countries. To this end, we have made several appeals to Greece to agree to a dialogue and to begin a process with a view to settling our differences. We do not rule out any agreed method of peaceful settlement of our differences. Furthermore, we have unilaterally implemented a number of confidence-building measures in the hope that they would be reciprocated. We expect that the group of “Wisemen”, consisting of two non- governmental personalities from Turkey and Greece, respectively, will be able to finally meet without further delay. This group has the task of preparing a report to be submitted to both Governments with non-binding recommendations for dealing with the issues. We also eagerly await the translation into concrete deeds, to promote better relations between our two countries, of the understanding reached during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid last July. Delaying this process by linking it to pre- conditions or artificial issues will not serve the interests of either country. It is evident that our bilateral problems cannot be resolved by the effort of Turkey alone, and that mutual commitment and the display of goodwill by both parties are imperative. The Caucasus, as a gateway between East and West, attracts world-wide attention politically and economically. We attach the highest significance to peace and stability, as well as to the preservation and consolidation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of that neighbouring region. In this context, it is vitally important to bring about a just and lasting solution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of international law. The Nagorny-Karabakh dispute still stands out as the principal obstacle to peace, security and enhanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the region, since more than one fifth of Azeri territory remains under occupation. We urge that the Minsk process and the decisions reached in that process will be taken seriously by all parties and that they will be implemented. The efforts made within this context by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)/Minsk Group should be carefully considered by all parties concerned. As a member of the Group, Turkey will continue to contribute to these efforts. We welcome the recent August meeting in Tbilisi between the parties to the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict and the signing of a statement by the leaders on the peaceful and mutually acceptable solution to the conflict. In this regard, I would like to stress that Turkey is committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders as stated in the Lisbon document of the OSCE. The Cyprus question has been on the agenda of the Security Council for almost 34 years. This roughly corresponds to the presence of the United Nations Peace- keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in the island. It may be high time to find a real answer to why a solution has eluded us all this time in spite of the dramatic changes that have occurred both on the international scene and in Cyprus, and despite all the commendable efforts of successive United Nations Secretaries-General. After so many years it would be wrong, I believe, to continue to link a 34-year-old failure to the lack of political will or to the intransigence of one side or the other. We should ask ourselves where we failed, why the mistrust is still so deep in the island and whether we have made the right diagnosis of this problem. 17 There are two distinct peoples, two separate administrations and two democracies on the island. Along with these realities, bicommunality, bizonality and the maintenance of the 1960 system of guarantees should be considered as incontestable foundations for a settlement. It is obvious that reluctance to recognize the realities in the island, and the tendency to apply pressure to one side alone, have not led us to a negotiated solution. The last two rounds of talks, in Troutbeck and in Glion, have solidified this perception. We do believe that the lessons of the past and current developments on the international scene should compel us to adopt a realistic approach to the Cypriot issue. The establishment of an equilibrium between the legal and political status of the two sides to the dispute could be a starting point for a rethinking process. Time is of the essence in initiating such a process since one can foresee that in early 1998 a chain of events might hinder efforts to find a negotiated settlement, and further increase the tension both on the island and in the region. As witnessed in the recent face-to-face talks, the pursuit of European Union membership by the Greek Cypriot side has become the main impediment to progress, rendering the negotiating process increasingly meaningless and an agreed settlement even more elusive. Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side firmly believe that efforts to carry forward this process will cast a shadow on the talks and might destroy the very foundation of the negotiation process. On various occasions, we have made our position clear on the issue of European Union membership of Cyprus. The 1959 and 1960 Treaties on Cyprus established an internal institutional balance between the two communities of Cyprus and, simultaneously, an external balance of interests between Turkey and Greece in their relationship with Cyprus. These Treaties unequivocally preclude the membership of Cyprus in any international organization, or political or economic union in which both Turkey and Greece are not members. Therefore, from a legal point of view, Cyprus can join the European Union only after a solution and simultaneously with Turkey. From a political point of view, this also appears to be the only viable outcome. We continue to entertain the hope that those who are concerned will act with an awareness of their historical responsibility, as the time approaches toward a decision on an issue which will have a determining effect on the future course of events in Cyprus. The deployment of S-300 missiles to southern Cyprus is another gloomy prospect. Coupled with ambitious rearmament efforts that the Greek Cypriot side has embarked upon, the purchase of highly sophisticated missiles aims at jeopardizing the security of the Turkish Cypriot people and of Turkey. We sincerely hope that in the end wisdom will prevail and this project, which may seriously affect peace and stability in the entire region, will be discontinued. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, in his statement earlier this afternoon, referred in a misleading way to my country and to the Cyprus issue. My delegation will speak in exercise of its right of reply at a later stage in response to the allegations contained in that statement. The challenges of building and preserving peace and of achieving development are closely linked. The United Nations, having successfully ended the first 50 years of its existence, is today well poised to take up these tasks. It is up to each Member State to make the best effort to contribute to this process. Turkey is determined to do its share. We sincerely hope that this session of the General Assembly will mark one more important step towards the realization of regional and global peace, stability, security, cooperation, solidarity and prosperity on the eve of a new millennium.