Speeches
Opening Remarks by Consul General Sharon A. Wiener at Terrorism Extradition Roundtable
Istanbul, June 26, 2008
Undersecretary Kahraman, Coordinator DeKerchove, Chief Prosecutors, other distinguished participants: It is my pleasure to welcome you to this Roundtable workshop jointly hosted by the US Department of Justice and the Turkish Ministry of Justice. And, I would like to extend my thanks to all of those in both the Ministery of Justice and the Department of Justice, who have worked so hard to organize this historic gathering.
As the US Consul General in Istanbul, I am involved every day in working to strengthen the very important, indeed strategic, relationship between the United States and Turkey. There is no higher priority on our bilateral agenda than the fight against terrorism. And today, I am pleased to be participating in an event aimed at strengthening something ever bigger -- the global relationship -- among those from many countries who are working in the area of law, terrorism and extradition.
The United States is committed to fighting the ever changing face of terrorism, with all our available tools. We are working within the framework of law to combat the criminal acts of terrorists and those that finance them. As terrorists become more facile, more clever and increasingly more difficult to bring to justice, it is not enough for individual countries to strengthen their laws and increase their vigilance. We must all work together in this struggle. Without cooperative and concerted efforts, the only winners in this fight are the terrorists; the losers are the victims and society itself. Meetings such as this are essential in ensuring that terrorist extremists are never considered winners.
Each country has its own laws and practices as unique as its own terrorism challenges. But it is essential that the uniqueness of those laws and practices not be exploited by the terrorists. Rather, they must be utilized for the benefit of you, the judicial and prosecution experts.
The matters that you will focus on in the coming days are essential to countering terrorism. There is little good in simply identifying someone or some group as terrorists. If they can’t be brought to justice, then the law has failed; the system has failed and we have failed.
Whether the terrorists are members of the PKK, Al Qaeda, or individuals who have splintered from a larger group of extremists–we are all committed to using all of the legitimate tools of law enforcement to combat their tyranny.
One of the most valuable tools in the legal toolbox is extradition- it is a term we are all familiar with and a concept we understand. Extradition can be the “legal surrender” for trial; it can be the “delivery” of the defendant from one legal jurisdiction to another; Whether one thinks of it as “giving up” or “surrendering” the defendant or whether one thinks of it as the more proactive “delivery”—this legal step is an important undertaking for any country whose citizens are the innocent victims of terrorist violence.
For the past few years there have been many articles in the media regarding the lack of terrorist extraditions to Turkey. The media has surmised the reasons why such a “delivery” has not occurred.
The U.S. Resident Legal Advisor in Ankara, Suzanne Hayden, and her colleagues at the Ministry of Justice have talked frankly and often about this situation and they have decided to consider the issue by bringing experts together to look at the legal aspects of extradition and to “demystify” the practice through the sharing of experiences.
For those with reservations about treatment of terrorists extradited to Turkey, this will be the perfect opportunity to see the answer. I believe you will have an opportunity to actually visit one of the prisons built specifically to handle terrorism extradition cases-- to ask questions and to talk frankly.
This is your opportunity to speak of your experiences in all of the legal and practical aspects of extradition.
This is your opportunity to share concerns, explain practices and build networks that reach beyond your day to day contacts.
It is also the opportunity to hear from your colleagues in Iraq who are working within and creating anew a judicial and legal system in a most difficult situation. Their laws and practices will also form a foundation for international cooperation. This is the opportunity to cross the chasm of the unknown- to build a bridge strengthened by the rule of law and traveled by experts and practitioners.
This evening it will be my pleasure to host you in my home. Although it is a view I see every day, I am always in awe of the two continents—Asia and Europe that are brought together by two well-traveled bridges. You will be able to see one of those bridges tonight with your own eyes.
In addition to conveying my wishes for a most successful workshop, I would like to say that I hope you will also enjoy your time here, in this magnificent city, where you are among friends and colleagues. Thank you.