Turkey, 2002

At the outset, I wish to join

other speakers in warmly congratulating you, Sir, on

your election as President of the General Assembly at

its fifty-seventh session. My delegation offers you its

full support to the presidency's work. I also wish to pay

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tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, for his

able guidance of the last session.

It gives me great pleasure to salute here

Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the two new

Members of the United Nations, the Swiss

Confederation and the Democratic Republic of East

Timor.

Turkey is firmly convinced that, throughout this

new century, the need for the United Nations will

increasingly grow. It is the only multilateral

Organization with universal membership dedicated to

the noble aims of maintaining peace and international

security, addressing global issues and establishing

standards that should apply to all.

Exactly a year ago, evil in its worst form struck

New York and Washington, D.C. Since the tragedy of

11 September, it has become amply clear that terrorist

organizations have much broader international

networks than anticipated. Terrorism has many names

and faces and recognizes no boundaries. This is a

phenomenon that is not confined to and cannot be

identified with any particular geography, religion, race

or culture. Terrorism is the most blatant violation of

human rights. Nothing can ever justify terrorism and

there can be no leniency towards it.

Turkey has been calling for years for intensified

international cooperation against terrorism. We have

been actively engaged in the work of the United

Nations to fight this scourge and we commend the

ongoing efforts. Security Council resolution 1373

(2001), in particular, provides a clear road map with

regard to the steps that need to be taken to combat

terrorism more effectively.

It is incumbent upon all Member States to adopt

existing international legislation and to review their

relevant national laws accordingly. We urge those

States that have not yet done so to become parties to

the 12 international conventions on specific terrorist

offences. We also look forward to the completion of the

work on a comprehensive convention against

international terrorism.

Preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping have

gained even more priority in this era of new conflicts.

Turkey has been actively participating in the efforts of

the United Nations in conflict prevention and plays a

significant role within peace missions mandated by the

United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe (OSCE). Hence, we commend the efforts of the

Secretary-General to ensure prompt reaction to

emerging crises and welcome the manifold

considerations contained in his report (A/55/985) on

the prevention of armed conflicts.

My country took over the command of the

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in

Kabul at an extremely critical juncture. We take pride

in fulfilling that task and thank the other contributing

nations. Indeed, all ISAF personnel are serving with a

strong sense of purpose and mission. Traditionally a

close friend of the Afghans, Turkey has contributed for

many years to the rehabilitation of Afghanistan. We

salute the performance of the Transitional Authority

under the leadership of His Excellency Mr. Hamid

Karzai, the Afghan President.

Today we must rapidly embark upon real and

tangible development efforts in Afghanistan. It is with

this understanding that Turkey provides the Afghan

people with assistance that is directed at developing

their national potential. Likewise, efforts to build the

Afghan national army and the police force as well as

solidarity and unity among the ethnic groups are of

crucial importance.

We feel strongly that the international community

should fulfil its commitments adopted at the Tokyo

International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance

to Afghanistan. support His Excellency Mr. Lakhdar

Brahimi, the Special Representative of the Secretary-

General for Afghanistan, in his efforts to secure greater

financial assistance. The United Nations is to be

commended for successfully spearheading

reconstruction activity.

Turkey is located in close proximity to many of

the existing conflict spots and potential new threats

that are high on the United Nations agenda.

Accordingly, we are closely interested in promoting

peace, stability and prosperity in our part of the world,

particularly in the Balkans, the Middle East and the

Caucasus.

We have been witnessing positive changes in the

political and security environment of the Balkans. The

multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural fabric of

the Balkan countries must be preserved. We believe

now is the right time for the word Balkans' to be

freed from its negative connotation and be made to

27

stand for such positive concepts as ethnic harmony,

mutual respect and peaceful cohabitation.

We hope that the elections in the Republic of

Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and

those to be held in a few weeks' time in Kosovo, will

be instrumental in shaping a better future for the

Balkans.

Our resolve to further improve our relations with

Greece through the current process of constructive

dialogue remains intact. We seek to encourage and

foster the spirit of friendship and cooperation so that

we can make further progress. In that respect, the two

countries signed a number of bilateral documents. As

for the Aegean Sea, we believe that Turkish-Greek

relations have indeed reached a level of maturity that

could enable us to address the issues at hand on a

bilateral basis. To that end, we have been discussing

certain confidence-building measures and have agreed

on some. We are also encouraged by the ongoing

exploratory contacts.

Regarding Cyprus, we continue to support the

efforts aimed at finding a just, viable, lasting and

complete settlement. Cyprus is an issue between the

two equal, distinct peoples on the island, namely the

Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots, each of

which lives under its own political and democratic

structures. The two peoples of Cyprus should be able to

coexist and share power under a new partnership State

structure on the basis of the equal status and sovereign

equality of the two partner States. We will continue to

support the current direct talks between the two leaders

in Cyprus, which enable the two parties to search for

comprehensive reconciliation without any third-party

involvement. We believe that equal treatment of both

sides will foster an environment that will encourage

them to move towards a new partnership of equals,

excluding the possibility of reverting to the situation

that existed before 1974. We support the recent Turkish

Cypriot proposals, which provide a sound and realistic

basis for a settlement. We believe that the international

community should give due consideration to these

proposals, which open a new window of opportunity

for the resolution of this longstanding issue.

The decision of the European Union Council to

start accession negotiations with the Greek Cypriot

administration, despite the illegitimacy of its claim to

represent the whole island, has made an agreed

settlement even more elusive. Unfortunately, the Greek

Cypriot focus so far has been totally diverted to

European Union membership. Membership prior to

settlement would create many problems and would lead

to tensions on the island and in the eastern

Mediterranean in general. We have reiterated that a

unilateral Greek Cypriot entry into the European Union

would harm the chances for a mutually agreed

settlement establishing a new partnership between the

two parties. The European Union must tell the Greek

Cypriots that they will not be admitted before a final

settlement. That is essential if we are to make

meaningful progress towards resolving the Cyprus

issue.

In the aftermath of 11 September, peace and

stability in the Middle East have gained even more

importance and urgency. Yet the present outlook of the

ongoing conflict does not leave much room for

optimism. Violence persists, taking a huge toll on both

sides. This year has been marked by successive

terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians and the

disproportionate use of force by Israel against the

Palestinians. The occupation of Palestinian towns and

the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure have only

exacerbated the already difficult living conditions of

the Palestinian people.

The parameters of peace in the Middle East are

embedded in Security Council resolutions 242 (1967)

and 338 (1973). Those resolutions have now been

given fuller meaning with the adoption of Council

resolution 1397 (2001), laying out the vision of two

States living side by side within secure boundaries.

The international community is also encouraged

by the Arab League plan adopted at its Beirut Summit,

based on a vision of the coexistence of all States in the

region through the full implementation of the relevant

Security Council resolutions. Likewise, the 24 June

statement of the United States President charts the

contours of a process that will lead to the two-State

objective.

The international community should engage itself

in encouraging and persuading all parties to the Middle

East conflict on the road to lasting peace. The

initiatives of the quartet' are welcome, and Turkey, as

a regional facilitator, is ready to offer its assistance in

whatever way may be necessary. We need a

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relaunching of the peace process, and Turkey stands

ready to host a meeting to that end.

More than a decade after the liberation of Kuwait,

the Iraqi problem remains unresolved. The

repercussions of the Gulf war still prevail. The adverse

effects of that situation on the people of Iraq, on

Turkey and on the region as a whole are increasing.

The only way out for Iraq is to cooperate fully with the

United Nations by implementing the relevant Security

Council resolutions. Turkey has been encouraging Iraq

in that direction. We would like to see an Iraq whose

territorial integrity and political unity are preserved

and which is peacefully reintegrated into the

international community.

The Caucasus is another area of close interest for

Turkey. We aim to help in establishing comprehensive

cooperation in the region. However, the unresolved

conflicts in Nagorny-Karabakh and Abkhazia still stand

as principal obstacles to political stability and

economic development. The Security Council has

adopted four resolutions urging the immediate

withdrawal of all troops from the Azerbaijani

territories, with which Armenia has not complied.

Being an active member of the Minsk Group,

Turkey is working for a peaceful resolution of the

Nagorny-Karabakh conflict within the framework of

the OSCE. We initiated a tripartite meeting among the

Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Azerbaijan

and Turkey in May.

The Abkhazian conflict still endangers peace and

stability in Georgia and in the entire region. From the

outset, Turkey has supported the peaceful resolution of

the conflict within the framework of the sovereignty,

independence and territorial integrity of Georgia.

In addition to the challenges of building national

structures and of achieving economic growth, the

young States of Central Asia have faced a set of new

threats: radical religious movements, terrorist

activities, drugs and weapons trafficking. After the

tragedy of 11 September, the international community

finally acknowledged the importance of stability in the

region and of the need to support reform efforts.

Transition to full democracy in Central Asia should be

seen as a process to be completed gradually as nation-

building, political stability and economic conditions

are enhanced.

The United Nations is the vehicle for the

realization of global expectations. We know that its

future rests to a great extent on its responsiveness to

the crisis of development in societies which have fallen

behind.

As things stand, the process of globalization, the

dominant force of our time, has amply shown its

inherent weaknesses, which are apt to create profound

issues of imbalance and inequality. A case can be made

in favour of globalization's ability to raise the level of

prosperity, to reduce poverty and to enhance liberties.

However, the fears of the masses cannot be completely

allayed without evidence of more responsive

management of that process. Conflict, poverty,

discrimination and injustice still blight the lives of

millions in every part of the globe. More than 80

countries now have per capita incomes lower than

those of a decade or more ago. Poverty is an offence to

the conscience of the modern world.

In view of all those considerations, Africa has a

special and urgent claim to global engagement and

concern. My country supports efforts aimed at

alleviating problems that afflict that continent. At this

gathering, I wish to salute the birth of the African

Union. We hope that Africans will thus be able to work

more effectively to attain their goals.

In the same vein, Turkey has attributed great

importance to the achievement of the goals and

principles adopted initially at the 1992 Rio Conference

on Environment and Development and compiled under

Agenda 21. They have been our guidelines in

combating poverty and in protecting the global

environment throughout the last decade, which has

brought us to the World Summit on Sustainable

Development, recently held in Johannesburg.

Before I conclude, I wish to underline one very

important aspect of our foreign policy. Fifty years after

the cornerstone was laid, the integration of Europe is

gaining further momentum. The dynamic of European

Union enlargement is opening up new horizons. The

recognition of Turkey as a candidate for accession to

the European Union has ushered in a new era in

relations between Turkey and the European Union.

Turkey is determined to be part of the historic process

of unifying Europe.

The past decade has presented us with many

threats to security. Each has created its own challenge.

But one fundamental lesson can be drawn from them

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all: no single State or organization is able to meet those

modern challenges on its own. We need to work

together closely. The United Nations is the very forum

in which we can achieve international cooperation and

harmonization to meet those challenges. As always,

Turkey stands ready to do its utmost to contribute to

the realization of its noble goals.