http://www.tsk.mil.tr/eng/konusma/harpa ... 0Nisan.htm
The attitude of Armenia, another neighbor of us, worries us. Turkey wishes to normalize her relations with Armenia. However, Armenia has to obey fundamental international rules of law and to meet the requirements of good neighborly relations.
Armenia does not recognize the territorial integrity of Turkey. Moreover she takes steps for the recognition of the alleged Armenian genocide on the international fora and keeps a significant part of Azerbaijan territories under occupation disregarding the UN Security Council resolutions. Political and legal aspects of the alleged genocide claims have been finalized with the Lausanne Treaty. With the Treaty, no obligation has been imposed on the Republic of Turkey. In the events that took place in 1915, many Turks and Armenians who were citizens of the Ottoman State lost their lives. While the Ottomans were fighting in several fronts, some Armenian organizations started an armed revolt against the state, cooperated with the occupying forces killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Turkish citizens. In response, the Ottoman State started the process of relocation in May 1915 in order to protect the Armenian society from the retaliation of the Turkish society. The Ottoman State took all possible measures for the successful accomplishment of the relocation process despite all the difficulties of the time. As it is known, genocide is defined as the implementation of deliberate measures taken with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. Therefore, those who claim alleged genocide have no grounds.
και συνεχίζει ξεδιάντροπα:
In our relations with neighbor Greece, who is our ally in NATO;
We have entered a rather different and positive period in the Turkish-Greek relations compared to previous years. Some measures have been accepted and declared to the public by both countries within the scope of the Confidence Building Measures (CBM), started as of the year 2000 with the initiatives of Turkey in this direction. However, within the scope of the CBM, we expect Greece to make an official apology regarding the event that occurred during the visit of our Military Academy cadets to Greece and we want the Greek side to declare the responsible persons. Otherwise, these activities may have to be reconsidered. The Aegean issue is always on our agenda. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries have been working on the subject. Here, I especially would like to express that the Aegean geography does not only concern the two countries; it also bears an international characteristic for many other countries, especially the littoral countries of the Black Sea. After the “Government Foreign Affairs and Defense Council” meeting, which is held on the first week of March of each year in Greece to determine the defense policy of the country, it is stated that although there have been positive developments between the two countries, Turkey’s political demands on Greece’s rights of sovereignty have not changed and therefore Greece has to maintain the required deterring and reliable force. Moreover, during the take-over ceremony of Greece Armed Forces (Chief of the General Staff), Turkey was referred to as a threat and the following statement was made: “Contrary to international justice and the foundations of international agreements, threats and unlawful demands made by our eastern neighbor constitute her basically unlawful approach”. On the other hand, the increase in the defense expenditure of Greece in the recent years draws attention. The figures I will give demonstrate this tendency more clearly. The armament and modernization expenditure of Greece between 1997-2003 was about 16 billion dollars. Moreover, Greece comes the first among the EU countries in terms of the proportion of defense expenditure to the Gross National Product (GNP). When we look at the NATO-member countries, it is seen that the defense expenditure of Turkey and Greece according to their GNP rates is very close to each other. Defense expenditure per capita is 164 dollars in Turkey while it is 709 dollars in Greece. When all these are assessed; it is seen that Greece continues to base her National Defense Policy on the assumption that the threat comes from the east (from Turkey). Thus, she arms the islands and narrows the Aegean international air space claiming that the air space is 10 miles over her 6-mile territorial waters. With the intention of demonstrating the Aegean as a Greek sea, Greece intercepts with armed aircrafts each of our aircraft that enter the international air space crossing the Flight Information Region (FIR) through our country. The international community will sooner or later understand this unjustness. Turkish Armed Forces attaches great importance to easing the tension in the Aegean, to development of the friendship between Turkey and Greece and to protection of the status quo in the Aegean determined by the international agreements. As I have stated, we see the Aegean Sea as the sea of everyone. Many countries besides Greece and Turkey and especially the Black Sea littoral countries benefit from this sea. Therefore, ensuring a permanent peace and stability depends on the solution of all problems regarding the Aegean between Turkey and Greece in a fair manner that is acceptable to both countries. Regarding the Cyprus issue; In terms of the national interests of Turkey and the responsibilities given to her by international agreements, Cyprus represents one of the main issues about which our concern shall never decrease. The importance of Cyprus from a security point of view, is based on two fundamental principles: * One of these is the security responsibility, which we have to ensure for our Cypriot kinsmen, a responsibility which is given to the Republic of Turkey and the TAF with the Guarantee Treaty. * The second is the importance of the strategic role that Cyprus plays in terms of the security of Turkey, as clearly expressed in the Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance. These two fundamental principles have continuity since stability and balance in Cyprus and Eastern Mediterranean can only be ensured in this way. This issue has been seriously taken into consideration in all solution offers regarding Cyprus. Some circles claim that these principles no longer bear importance. Furthermore, some countries want the 1960 Treaties to be amended. However, we are quite aware of the necessity of maintaining these treaties and we know and defend the duties and responsibilities given to us. To those who claim that Cyprus does not bear a strategic importance, I would like to remind the question why England pays so much attention to preserving her sovereign bases on the Island, and why a problematic island very distant to Europe has been accepted to the European Union in such a quick manner. Turkish Armed Forces has always been supporting a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue. The Republic of Turkey and especially Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have always fulfilled their obligations on this subject. There have been two consequences of the 24 April referendums; no one can indicate either Turkey or TRNC as the cause of impasse in Cyprus issue any more. On the island there are two communities who do not represent each other and who are politically equal. At a time, when the promises to remove the isolation imposed on the TRNC are forgotten, it is a great unjustness against Turkey to still request her to do any kind of favor. The aim of the Greek side is clear: - to suspend the solution without making any serious commitment, - to extend the process over time and, in the meantime, take unilateral concessions from Turkey during her EU membership negotiations by removing the parameters of just and lasting peace, - to integrate the Cypriot Turks to itself, - to seize the island as a whole by excluding the TRNC. According to them, the success of their policy depends on the perpetuation of the impasse in Cyprus. As it is known, within the framework of the Turkish Foreign Policy, it is not possible for Turkey to recognize Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus as the representative of the whole island. Turkey can recognize a new order which would come out as a result of a negotiation process to be made among parties with equal political status on the Island and which would not be the continuation of 1960 Republic of Cyprus. This new order must not harm the rights of Turkey arising from the Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance. The elections on February 20 and April 17 in the TRNC were held in a free environment in a democratic and transparent manner. Thus, the existence of an effective state administration with a free and parliamentary structure in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has been proved once more.