The Phoenix of Turkish Politics

By JAMES WILDE ISTANBUL Suleyman Demirel

Q. There is talk of Turkey turning from the West. Will you remain a strong ally?

A. We have been allies of the U.S. since 1947 against the threat from the Soviet Union and the expansion of communism. We have had some differences, mostly over Cyprus, but I believe we have been able to overcome all the difficulties.

While the military alliance between Turkey and the U.S. should continue, it should also become an economic alliance. We don't want any favors, just equal ; opportunities. I told a group of U.S. businessmen recently, trust us. Do business in Turkey. Invest in Turkey. Your investments will be safe. We are the only Muslim country defending secularism, and we believe that being Muslim is not a handicap to being part of the Western world.

Q. Will Turkey be a bridge between the West and the new Muslim states of the former U.S.S.R.?

A. What is going to happen in the former Soviet Union is uncertain, so Turkey's position is more important than before. A new window of opportunity has opened for us with the Turkic republics. They speak our language. ((Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan speak Turkic languages. In Tajikistan the language is akin to Iranian Farsi.)) We are urging them to remain secular and to switch to the Latin alphabet.

We are trying to revitalize a Black Sea economic union to include both the Balkans and the new Turkic republics. The republics are raw-material countries. They have virtually no industry. They need technical assistance, advice and investment, plus markets for their raw materials. What I am urgently suggesting is that all the civilized world should set up a Marshall Plan for these Turkic republics to maintain political stability.

Q. Should the U.S. help the Kurds and Shi'ites in rebellion against Saddam?

A. The gulf war ended a year ago. If America wanted Saddam Hussein toppled by Kurds and Shi'ites, this should have been done by now. There is already an uprising in northern Iraq, and the people of Kurdish origin, of Turkish origin, of Iraqi origin, are miserable. There is no government control. There are tribes, mostly Kurdish, controlling the region. How can these poor people topple Saddam? Furthermore, I don't think anyone wants the Shi'ites to topple Saddam. That would mean an Iranian-style regime. I don't think Iraq's neighbors would be very happy about that. The allied coalition that pushed Saddam from Kuwait and then left him in Iraq is facing an impasse.

Q. You say you will not stand by and watch Saddam launch another offensive against the Kurds.

A. Assume that an Iraqi government, with or without Saddam, repeats massacres of the Kurds using poison gas, or tries to implement genocide. I don't think that either Turkey or the world should stand idly by and just watch. Three or four million northern Iraqis shouldn't be left to the tyranny of anyone. I hope an Iraqi military offensive doesn't happen, but if it does, Turkey won't + just watch it happen again. We will call upon the world to do something.

Q. What about Kurdish separatism in your country?

A. These Kurds are not a colonized people. They have the same rights as all Turkish citizens. We do not intend to let anything inhuman happen to the Turkish Kurds, but separatism cannot develop the country, and bloodshed is no answer. For those who cause bloodshed we will have no mercy. We cannot use the same methods as the terrorist groups, but this problem irritates us, that is for sure.

I have made it a matter of national policy to recognize the Kurds as a separate ethnic group, and we have a national consensus on this matter. The mistreatment of those people by the Turkish security forces is not the policy of our administration. But from time to time, due to lack of training, you may have such incidents. I think it is now minimized, and we shall continue to be very careful to see that it doesn't happen.

Q. Cyprus, as always, remains at the top of your diplomatic agenda.

A. We have to be realistic. We are willing to have a political solution, because that will ease Turkey's financial burden in maintaining troops in northern Cyprus ((where the Turkish Cypriot community is located; Greek Cypriots live in the south)). The basis for any solution should be United Nations Resolution 649 ((which calls for establishment of an independent, bicommunal federal republic on the island of Cyprus)). You can't force the two communities to live together as if you were making a man and woman marry against their will. We are pushing the leaders of northern Cyprus to be reasonable. Some people think they are the reason there is still no solution there. But these leaders are necessary to explain to their people that they have not been cheated or forced.

Q. What about full membership in the European Community?

A. The Community has said it will start considering new members before the end of 1992. Whom? Poland, Czechoslovakia or maybe Hungary? And when this happens, should Turkey be left out under such conditions? We became an associate member in 1963. I say we should be a full member, and soon. To become a member is a way of forcing ourselves to develop, because in order to join, we must reach the level of Western countries. That is our dream. We will be part of the universal world community with universal standards for all our people. And once we achieve these universal values, we will have already $ achieved the material ones too.