Remarks After Meeting With Foreign Minister Gul

Released by U.S. Embassy-Ankara, Turkey

AMB.WILSON: Good evening. Ambassador Burns and I have just finished a very good and productive meeting with Minister Gul. Ambassador Burns will talk a little bit about that meeting, but before he does that I’d just like to say a couple of things about the apparent murder of Hrant Dink. We talked about this subject, of course, with the Minister. We were shocked and deeply troubled that Hrant Dink was killed in an armed attack today in Istanbul. I knew Hrant Dink. I was pleased and honored to have met him. We send – and I personally send – our heartfelt condolences to his family, to his loved ones. We express our hope that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will quickly be brought to justice by the authorities here. Thank you very much. Let me turn it over to Ambassador Burns.

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you very much. I’d just like to say that we have been very pleased with our discussions today with the Turkish government. We have an exceedingly important relationship together. We are working together, of course, to try to resolve the many problems of the Middle East where Turkey is such an important partner of our country. And I did say to Minister Gul, as I said to Prime Minister Erdogan last evening, that the United States intends to work very closely with Turkey as well as with Iraq to try to diminish the number and severity of PKK attacks on Turkish soldiers and civilians. That we are with Turkey, we support Turkey and we oppose the PKK. There was an inspection of the Makhmour camp as you know. We’re looking for that camp to be closed in the future because there has to be relief and support for the Turkish government and people against this terrorist threat.

Let me just conclude by saying that this has been a very, very good visit. I think there’s a high degree of unity between Turkey and the United States on the need for peace in Iraq, on the need for Iran to listen to what the world is saying – it should not become a nuclear weapons state. It should stop funding terrorist groups. On the need for support for Prime Minister Seniora in Lebanon and the need for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. So Turkey is our valued strategic partner. We look forward to Foreign Minister Gul coming to the United States in a few weeks. And we look forward to continuing this very important partnership that we have.

QUESTION: Mr. Hrant Dink was an Armenian Turkish citizen. Do you think his murder will expedite, facilitate an Armenian genocide bill* in the Congress. What do you think the U.S. can do to block the passing of this bill?*

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Obviously, the Turkish government has spoken about its own outrage about this murder. There’ve been very strong statements from the Prime Minister and the government. And Minister Gul assured us that the entire Cabinet had discussed this and that the Turkish government is as shocked and saddened as all of us are about this. I think we have to let the Turkish government now investigate this tragic assassination. I don’t think it’d be appropriate to try to link this to any other issue. A human being has lost his life. A tragic thing has happened and we should give time to the Turkish government to make its own investigation.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, (inaudible) have concern about Kirkuk. The Turkish side wants to cancel or delay the referendum in Kirkuk. How do you evaluate this issue?

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you. Well, first of all, let me say we had a series of very good conversations with the Turkish leadership on Iraq. We appreciate all the support that Turkey has given our country in this very difficult situation. And we explained from our side that President Bush has announced a new American strategy for Iraq which we believe can and must be successful. And we appreciate the support of Turkey and other countries to try to help the Iraqi people in a very difficult time in their history. There are sensitive issues. And you mentioned one of them. That ought to be the subject of discussions, obviously, but which in the final analysis must rest with the sovereign government in Baghdad and with the Iraqi people themselves.

AMB. WILSON: Thank you very much.

*Note: The questioner is referring to a possible resolution to be introduced in Congress, not a bill.