US support for Turkey’s terror fight insufficient, Gül says

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

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Washington is not lending Turkey the amount of support it should in its fight against terrorism, President Abdullah Gül has said, adding that Turkey should be able to take its own measures without relying on other countries to resolve the problem.

“Is there anything more that the U.S. could do? Of course there is. Is [the U.S. effort] enough? I do not think so. But every country has its own problems and policies. Complaining about what has and has not been done is not right,” Gül was quoted as saying in daily Hürriyet Aug. 24. “If a country sought the support of another country’s hand in resolving its own problems, it would be a mistake.”

Speaking to reporters on his way back from Kyrgyzstan, Gül commented on the recent increase in the number of attacks by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). All political leaders were standing shoulder to shoulder against terrorism, Gül said, referring to the attendance of senior party leaders from across the political spectrum at a funeral ceremony in Gaziantep in the aftermath of a deadly bomb attack that killed nine and wounded dozens on Aug. 20.

“It is very important to show our unity and solidarity against terrorism in times like these. We, as all leaders and politicians, wanted to demonstrate that we attach importance to our unity and solidarity. I hope that this spirit of Gaziantep sent everyone a positive message. I hope that it will be helpful from now on,” Gül said.

Speaking about allegations that there was an intelligence failure in the Gaziantep attack, Gül said Turkish intelligence had prevented many potential attacks in the past, but that the nature of those incidents had not been disclosed. A suspected organizer of the Aug. 20 attack was being interrogated by police, Gül said. He also described the Aug. 17 meeting between the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and PKK militants in the eastern province of Hakkari as “inconceivable,” and said the incident had drawn a reaction from the public.