Statements by U.S. Officials

Ambassador Ross Wilson's Remarks to the Propeller Club

Istanbul, Turkey, October 19, 2006

(As prepared for delivery)

United States and Turkey

Dr. Winkler, distinguished guests.

It is a special pleasure and honor to be here.  Istanbul is, of course, one of my favorite cities in the world.  It is a special pleasure to congratulate you on the occasion of Republic Day.  Ataturk’s principles have been a beacon of hope for millions of people, and they have been the foundation of this prosperous, democratic, secular and successful country.

I also want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!  Today is not exactly one of our really important American holidays.  In fact, it’s not a holiday at all.  It celebrates what are basically pagan deities:  witches, goblins and ghosts.  Although America is a very diverse society, there are not more than a tiny handful of people who really believe in these things.  But still we make a big deal out of Halloween.

One reason why most Americans and I like Halloween is candy.  It’s almost as if Halloween is a day on which we celebrate the great candy god.  This evening, children all over the United States will go from house to house, ring the doorbell, say “trick or treat,” and hold out a bag or sack into which their neighbors dump candy – the “treat” for which they have asked.  (Every once in a while, an irritating parent will tease visiting children by demanding a trick, but that is another story.)  The children go home, count their loot, eat too much of it, and get sick.

A second reason why Halloween is special for me is that my older son, Blake, was born on this day.  You can imagine that all of the ghosts, goblins and candies are an even bigger affair in my house.  I look forward to joining him and the rest of my family in a few hours.  For now and I glad to commemorate Halloween right here.

As I said early, it’s a real pleasure to be in the wonderful city again.  As many of you know, I come here often.  Istanbul plays a crucial role in the political, cultural and commercial life of this wonderful country that I am so very privileged to serve in.

I am very glad to have this opportunity to meet with you to discuss US-Turkish relations.  I approach this with a lot of humility because I know that as civic minded business leaders, many of you are at least as involved in US-Turkish relations as I am.

Almost a year has passed since my arrival to Turkey in December.  Our most important accomplishments in that time have been to reestablish senior level dialogue and understanding.  Many of our senior-level people have been involved.  This includes, of course, President Bush and Prime Minister Erdogan, who met four weeks ago yesterday in Washington and have talked on the telephone several times this year.  This also includes our foreign, defense, energy, agriculture and trade ministers, national security advisors, military and intelligence chiefs, parliamentarians and many others.

It was a real honor to participate in the very cordial and wide-ranging discussion that President Bush enjoyed with Prime Minister Erdogan on October 2.  They talked about their shared determination to confront PKK and other international terrorists and the steps our countries are taking together to ensure terrorists cannot in the future threaten our citizens.  Our heads of government talked about other challenges in Iraq and work our two countries can do to help foster a strong, unified, democratic and prosperous future for that country.  They talked about Iran and the Middle East, Cyprus, and the status of Turkey’s accession negotiations with the European Union.  They even talked about Darfur.  The suffering of millions of people in this region of western Sudan deeply affects both our leaders in a very emotional way, and I know they both want to support efforts to bring peace there.

The wide ranging conversation our heads of government held four weeks ago reflects the Shared Vision and Structured Dialogue that Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Gul agreed upon in July.  In that paper, our governments pledged to work harder and more effectively together on a number of issues.  We agreed to structure and regularize our consultations to help bring that about.

As businessmen, you will appreciate – perhaps all too well – that one of the hardest tasks in government is to get things done.  (I am sure that bureaucratic inertia is not unique to the United States.)  This Shared Vision paper is a tool that I can use, that Ambassador Sensoy in Washington can use, and that leaders of our countries can use – and are using – to give better structure to what we do and aim more effectively for results.

Nowhere is this more obvious than with regard to Turkey’s most immediate security concern – the PKK.  I have said a number of times that I am proud that the United States has been able to help Turkey in its struggle against PKK terrorism.  This includes our information sharing, which has helped Turkish security forces counter PKK terrorist threats; our collaboration going back to the 1990s to get PKK leaders detained, tried and/or returned to this country; and efforts to shut down PKK criminal groups and sources of funding in Europe.

These things are good.  They are not enough.

The large increase in PKK violence this year has been something that no democratic government can or should be expected to tolerate.  If our Shared Vision means anything, it requires a new and more vigorous approach by our two countries.  For these reasons among others, a US special envoy for countering the PKK was named – retired US General and former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Joseph Ralston.

As he has described it, Gen. Ralston’s task is to work with Turkey and Iraq to develop as quickly as possible a full range of actions that will be effective in curbing PKK violence.  We are particularly focused on our goal that northern Iraq shall not be a base from which terrorist attacks on this country are organized, supplied and launched.

The Iraqi government has announced that it intends to end the PKK’s presence in Iraq, close its offices there, and prevent its terrorist activities.  Clearly the Iraqi authorities have to deliver or be helped in delivering.  But these are small, constructive steps forward.  There will be more.

Gen. Ralston has been emphatic on the need for visible actions that demonstrate anew to the people of Turkey that the United States stands with them against the PKK terrorist onslaught.  The struggle against terrorism is hard, whether the target is the PKK, al-Qaida or any of a number of other groups.  Patient, painstaking, effective, efficient and urgent actions can and will change the situation for the better.

Terrorism and the PKK, of course, are not the only issues facing Turkey or US-Turkish relations.  There is the broader matter of Iraq.  We have appreciated the constructive contributions – political, economic and moral – that Turkey has made to help its neighbor.  The future there remains complicated and uncertain.  The failure of unity and democracy there would be bad for the world and bad for Turkey.  We must not let that happen.  As Iraqis work their way forward, it is vital for the United States and Turkey to continue working together to help promote a strong and unified Iraq

Events halfway across the globe in North Korea have underscored the importance of the work we are doing together to persuade Iran to abide by its commitments under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.  We pledged in our Shared Vision paper to work in tandem on this because our governments agree that the spread of nuclear weapons would be dangerous.  The United States values the role that Turkey has played and is continuing to play in the diplomacy to resolve the Iran nuclear issue.

In the Middle East, our countries see the fundamental issues the same way.  We welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that helped bring the fighting over southern Lebanon between Hezbollah terrorists and Israel to an end.  Turkey is now beginning what will be an important contribution to the UNIFIL peacekeeping force there.  This role and Turkey’s generous humanitarian help to the Lebanese people will be factors for peace and stability -- as are Turkish peacekeepers in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo.  We both want to work as urgently as possible toward a better Middle East based on two democratic states – Israeli and Palestinian – living side by side in peace.

Our Strategic Vision paper also reaffirmed our joint interest in Turkey’s accession negotiations with the European Union.  This has been US policy for decades.  As President Bush reiterated earlier this month, we believe that stability, freedom and prosperity throughout the region will be advanced through a successful accession process that further anchors secular, democratic and dynamic Turkey in Europe.

The process of EU accession has been difficult for every new member.  Turkey will not be any different.  And there are a number of challenges.

• There remain many issues related to reform here and especially its implementation as Turkey adopts EU policies, standards and the acquis.  Among these are items we, too, are interested in that relate to freedom of expression, freedom of religion and equal rights for all citizens.
• Perhaps reflecting these and other challenges, some here increasingly doubt whether the effort is worth it or whether it can succeed no matter what this country does.

Turkey and its people obviously have to decide their own future and the pace of change.  It’s good, if also difficult, that both Turkey and the EU countries approach this through the democratic process.