Gen. Özkök Concludes Visit to USA
Hurriyet-AP News - Following his one-week visit to the United States, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok has returned to Turkey. Speaking at Ankara's Military Airport, Gen. Ozkok told reporters that during his stay in Washington he had met with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. He and the US officials conferred on Iraq, Afghanistan, the Cyprus issue, NATO, and issues pertaining to the European Defense and Security Policy (EDSP).

Ozkok stated that he had been pleased by the U.S.' candid attitude on Turkey's concerns about Iraq and Cyprus. "The U.S. seems very much determined to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and to end the threat posed by that country," said Ozkok. "However, the Bush administration has not yet made up its mind on how to reach its goal." Ozkok said that he had reiterated Turkey's sensitivities on the Iraq issue to the U.S. officials. "A peaceful solution to the Iraq problem must be pursued until the last possible minute. But if a military operation proves unavoidable, it must be undertaken on internationally legitimate grounds," Ozkok stressed, adding that the US had not yet officially approached Turkey about a possible military operation. Secretary Powell thanked General Ozkok for Turkey's contributions to the war against terrorism, and reiterated the need for the international coalition to remain steadfast against continuing terrorist threats.