Turkey, 1997

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.