Tweet
US NUKES AT INCIRLIK QUESTIONED
Tolga KORKUT
BİA, Turkey
June 12 2006
Opposition CHP deputy Elekdag prepares to table nuclear bombs issue
at Parliament: "We don't need them, let's send them back". Global
BAK's Mater: "Secret decree is still kept secret. Agreement may have
been automatically extended".
BİA (Istanbul) - The presence of 90 American nuclear bombs at the
Incirlik Air Base in the Southeast Turkish province of Adana is being
brought before parliament by the country's main opposition Republic
Peoples Party (CHP) deputy and former Turkish ambassador to the United
States, Sukru Elekdag.
In an exclusive interview with bianet last week, Elekdag said no
justification could be made by civilian or military authorities to
retain these weapons after the Cold War and that, in his view, their
presence delivered a blow to the regional political prestige of Turkey.
Elekdag is calling on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to
explain if there is any valid military purpose in still allowing these
weapons to be held in Turkish soil despite the end of the Cold War.
"In 1991 father Bush made a historical statement and said 'there is no
such threat. We are withdrawing all of our land tactical missiles in
Europe.' Then they said 'air to surface bombs will stay for a while
and we will liquidate them'. But these were all forgotten. It is only
now that it's revealed what these weapons really are.
Previously it was impossible to prove this. Authorities were neither
saying yes or no," Elakdag explained.
Noting that Turkey itself was not under any threat, Elekdag said
"These weapons that are under USA control are not necessary. If there
is a reason, let us know. If there is not, they should be taken out
of the country".
Elekdag added, "Middle East countries are concerned over the existence
of these weapons. The new strategy of the USA is a pre-emptive
strategy. In other words, to strike the source of a danger it sees
without waiting. This, as in Iraq, leads to disaster".
"We do not want to Iran to be nuclear armed. This issue has three
actors, the USA, Israel and Iran. There is only one way out in solving
this tension," he said. "The Middle East should become a nuclear free
zone. Turkey should revitalise this draft".
He said, however, that "it cannot support this with nuclear weapons.
Being the secretary of the Islamic Conference Organisation, Turkey
could take the responsibility of such a project at the level of the
United Nations on a legal platform. It is difficult, but this is the
only way out".
Elekdag said that for his part, he now planned to bring the United
Nations Convention to Prevent the Spread of Nuclear Weapons on the
agenda of the Turkish Parliament.
"I will reveal the arbitrary way the USA is enforcing this
convention. If we do not want the 21st century to b the century of
disaster, we have to enforce this convention fastidiously. Otherwise,
other countries will revive the nuclear armament projects that they
had shelved".
Asked whether he would work together with non-governmental
organisations already active on the issue, Elekdag said "I need to
consider this. I do not know what their agenda is. I need to find
this out. I am not against necessary defence measures being taken.
Whatever required should be done. But I do think that there is no
defence justification related to nuclear bombs".
Mater: Agreement between Pentagon and Chief of Staff
Tayfun Mater, spokesman for the Global Peace and Justice Coalition
(Kuresel BAK) that has been involved in a prolonged struggle for the
closure of Incirlik air base and for the Council of Ministers to
disclose a secret decree pertaining to its use, regards Elekdag's
upcoming initiative as a positive development but warns "these
agreements are in reality between the Pentagon and the [Turkish]
Chief of General Staff office. I do not think that they will openly
be brought to Parliament".
Mater told bianet that despite this, they would continue to do
everything within their capacity to force Ankara to disclose the
secret decrees under which Incirlik is controlled and used.
He explained that despite going through the Right to Obtain Information
and even filing cases, they could not learn of the Council of
Ministers secret decree on Incirlik. "We never received a reply to
our application for Information. The Council of State rejected our
case for the decree to be annulled. And because this case was secret,
we were not shown the decree" Mater explained.
He added that the agreement related to the base should have been
extended to June 5, 2006 "but no information was leaked out. It might
be that the text says somewhere that if there is no objection, the
agreement is automatically extended. The original text of the decree
has still not been disclosed."
Gerger: We'll live with nuclear bombs without rooted changes
Renown Turkish writer and one of the founding member of the Turkish
Human Rights Association, Dr. Haluk Gerger said that the presence
of nuclear weapons in Turkey has been an open secret since the 1950s
and added "but in Turkey, as long as the situation doesn't change in
the Chief of General Staff determining policies, there will both be
nuclear bombs and CIA torture planes".
Gerger explained to bianet that US nuclear weapons were deployed to
Turkey in the second half of the 1950s both under NATO agreements
and bilateral agreements with the United States.
"These bombs are owned by the US. They can only be used under the
ratification of the President of the USA. If Turkey does not want
these weapons, it needs to review the NATO agreements and bilateral
agreements with the USA. Not all NATO members accept nuclear weapons
on their soil" he said.
Gerger argued, however, that Turkey did not have the political
willpower to review these texts.
"The USA deployed nuclear weapons to the Middle East region first
through Turkey. Then by aiding Israel and turning a blind eye. The
third entry was with Iran under the Shah" Gerger said.
"The peace movement and socialist movement have always voiced their
objections. But a meaningful objection never turned out. Opposition
parties might have used the issue occasionally but when they came to
power, they continued to support nuclear bombs. Today there is still
not a serious objection. The CHP does not have a program that says
'I'll get the nuclear bombs out of the country if I come to power'."
Gerger concluded that unless there were rooted changes in Turkey,
the continue would continue to host nuclear bombs. "Unless there is a
true democracy in Turkey, neither social opposition nor governments
can influence this kind of strategic military issues. The Chief of
General Staff will decide".
Bombs "only just" on political agenda
More than a year has passed since the American National Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) organisation disclosed in its February 9, 2005
dates report that there were 90 nuclear weapons at Adana's Incirlik
air base and a total of 480 throughout Europe. The original report
was published by bianet on February 10.
Yet months before this, on December 9, 2004, CHP Adana deputy Tacidar
Seyhanhad submitted a motion to Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul in
parliament related to the presence of nuclear and chemical weapons
at Incirlik base.
In his short reply to the motion on January 13, 2005, Gonul said
"the answers contain information classified secret. Because of this
a a response cannot be given"
Information pertaining to the bombs came to the media and political
agenda only after a May 17 press statement on the issue by Greenpeace
General Director Dr. Gerd Leipold.
Many NGOs including Kuresel BAK, Human Rights Association and
Greenpeace have staged a number of activities in Turkey for information
on the nuclear weapons in Incirlik to be disclosed and to have access
to the Secret Incirlik Decree under which the base is operated.
Close to many of the world's potential trouble spots and only a jump
away from Iraq, Armenia and Iran, Incirlik Air Base is an important
base in NATO's Southern Region. As a prime staging location, Incirlik
offers extensive runway facilities and aircraft shelters. It also
serves as a regional storage center for war reserve materials. The
heavily guarded base hosts hundreds of US personnel, US and Turkish
civilian employees and contractors.
http://www.bianet.org/2006/06/01_eng /news80433.htm
--Boundary_(ID_AqXslLPt7Otl3K292Yd yNA)--
Tolga KORKUT
BİA, Turkey
June 12 2006
Opposition CHP deputy Elekdag prepares to table nuclear bombs issue
at Parliament: "We don't need them, let's send them back". Global
BAK's Mater: "Secret decree is still kept secret. Agreement may have
been automatically extended".
BİA (Istanbul) - The presence of 90 American nuclear bombs at the
Incirlik Air Base in the Southeast Turkish province of Adana is being
brought before parliament by the country's main opposition Republic
Peoples Party (CHP) deputy and former Turkish ambassador to the United
States, Sukru Elekdag.
In an exclusive interview with bianet last week, Elekdag said no
justification could be made by civilian or military authorities to
retain these weapons after the Cold War and that, in his view, their
presence delivered a blow to the regional political prestige of Turkey.
Elekdag is calling on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to
explain if there is any valid military purpose in still allowing these
weapons to be held in Turkish soil despite the end of the Cold War.
"In 1991 father Bush made a historical statement and said 'there is no
such threat. We are withdrawing all of our land tactical missiles in
Europe.' Then they said 'air to surface bombs will stay for a while
and we will liquidate them'. But these were all forgotten. It is only
now that it's revealed what these weapons really are.
Previously it was impossible to prove this. Authorities were neither
saying yes or no," Elakdag explained.
Noting that Turkey itself was not under any threat, Elekdag said
"These weapons that are under USA control are not necessary. If there
is a reason, let us know. If there is not, they should be taken out
of the country".
Elekdag added, "Middle East countries are concerned over the existence
of these weapons. The new strategy of the USA is a pre-emptive
strategy. In other words, to strike the source of a danger it sees
without waiting. This, as in Iraq, leads to disaster".
"We do not want to Iran to be nuclear armed. This issue has three
actors, the USA, Israel and Iran. There is only one way out in solving
this tension," he said. "The Middle East should become a nuclear free
zone. Turkey should revitalise this draft".
He said, however, that "it cannot support this with nuclear weapons.
Being the secretary of the Islamic Conference Organisation, Turkey
could take the responsibility of such a project at the level of the
United Nations on a legal platform. It is difficult, but this is the
only way out".
Elekdag said that for his part, he now planned to bring the United
Nations Convention to Prevent the Spread of Nuclear Weapons on the
agenda of the Turkish Parliament.
"I will reveal the arbitrary way the USA is enforcing this
convention. If we do not want the 21st century to b the century of
disaster, we have to enforce this convention fastidiously. Otherwise,
other countries will revive the nuclear armament projects that they
had shelved".
Asked whether he would work together with non-governmental
organisations already active on the issue, Elekdag said "I need to
consider this. I do not know what their agenda is. I need to find
this out. I am not against necessary defence measures being taken.
Whatever required should be done. But I do think that there is no
defence justification related to nuclear bombs".
Mater: Agreement between Pentagon and Chief of Staff
Tayfun Mater, spokesman for the Global Peace and Justice Coalition
(Kuresel BAK) that has been involved in a prolonged struggle for the
closure of Incirlik air base and for the Council of Ministers to
disclose a secret decree pertaining to its use, regards Elekdag's
upcoming initiative as a positive development but warns "these
agreements are in reality between the Pentagon and the [Turkish]
Chief of General Staff office. I do not think that they will openly
be brought to Parliament".
Mater told bianet that despite this, they would continue to do
everything within their capacity to force Ankara to disclose the
secret decrees under which Incirlik is controlled and used.
He explained that despite going through the Right to Obtain Information
and even filing cases, they could not learn of the Council of
Ministers secret decree on Incirlik. "We never received a reply to
our application for Information. The Council of State rejected our
case for the decree to be annulled. And because this case was secret,
we were not shown the decree" Mater explained.
He added that the agreement related to the base should have been
extended to June 5, 2006 "but no information was leaked out. It might
be that the text says somewhere that if there is no objection, the
agreement is automatically extended. The original text of the decree
has still not been disclosed."
Gerger: We'll live with nuclear bombs without rooted changes
Renown Turkish writer and one of the founding member of the Turkish
Human Rights Association, Dr. Haluk Gerger said that the presence
of nuclear weapons in Turkey has been an open secret since the 1950s
and added "but in Turkey, as long as the situation doesn't change in
the Chief of General Staff determining policies, there will both be
nuclear bombs and CIA torture planes".
Gerger explained to bianet that US nuclear weapons were deployed to
Turkey in the second half of the 1950s both under NATO agreements
and bilateral agreements with the United States.
"These bombs are owned by the US. They can only be used under the
ratification of the President of the USA. If Turkey does not want
these weapons, it needs to review the NATO agreements and bilateral
agreements with the USA. Not all NATO members accept nuclear weapons
on their soil" he said.
Gerger argued, however, that Turkey did not have the political
willpower to review these texts.
"The USA deployed nuclear weapons to the Middle East region first
through Turkey. Then by aiding Israel and turning a blind eye. The
third entry was with Iran under the Shah" Gerger said.
"The peace movement and socialist movement have always voiced their
objections. But a meaningful objection never turned out. Opposition
parties might have used the issue occasionally but when they came to
power, they continued to support nuclear bombs. Today there is still
not a serious objection. The CHP does not have a program that says
'I'll get the nuclear bombs out of the country if I come to power'."
Gerger concluded that unless there were rooted changes in Turkey,
the continue would continue to host nuclear bombs. "Unless there is a
true democracy in Turkey, neither social opposition nor governments
can influence this kind of strategic military issues. The Chief of
General Staff will decide".
Bombs "only just" on political agenda
More than a year has passed since the American National Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) organisation disclosed in its February 9, 2005
dates report that there were 90 nuclear weapons at Adana's Incirlik
air base and a total of 480 throughout Europe. The original report
was published by bianet on February 10.
Yet months before this, on December 9, 2004, CHP Adana deputy Tacidar
Seyhanhad submitted a motion to Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul in
parliament related to the presence of nuclear and chemical weapons
at Incirlik base.
In his short reply to the motion on January 13, 2005, Gonul said
"the answers contain information classified secret. Because of this
a a response cannot be given"
Information pertaining to the bombs came to the media and political
agenda only after a May 17 press statement on the issue by Greenpeace
General Director Dr. Gerd Leipold.
Many NGOs including Kuresel BAK, Human Rights Association and
Greenpeace have staged a number of activities in Turkey for information
on the nuclear weapons in Incirlik to be disclosed and to have access
to the Secret Incirlik Decree under which the base is operated.
Close to many of the world's potential trouble spots and only a jump
away from Iraq, Armenia and Iran, Incirlik Air Base is an important
base in NATO's Southern Region. As a prime staging location, Incirlik
offers extensive runway facilities and aircraft shelters. It also
serves as a regional storage center for war reserve materials. The
heavily guarded base hosts hundreds of US personnel, US and Turkish
civilian employees and contractors.
http://www.bianet.org/2006/06/01_eng /news80433.htm
--Boundary_(ID_AqXslLPt7Otl3K292Yd yNA)--