Turkey
Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit
Press Release on Turkish Support of US Response
September 22, 2001
“Prime Minister of Turkey H.E. Bülent Ecevit has sent a letter to the US President H.E. George W. Bush on 21 September 2001, where He stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between Turkey and the United States and how the two countries have benefited from that partnership in the past.

Prime Minister Ecevit reminded President Bush of the struggle that Turkey has waged for many years against international terrorist attacks with foreign connections and of the suffering of the Turkish people from terrorism. He also emphasized that the Turkish People are in solidarity with the American people in connection with the recent terrorist attacks against the United States and that Turkey provides her full support for international cooperation in fighting against terrorism.

The Prime Minister mentioned as well the Turkish Government’s positive response to the American request for the use of Turkish air space and Turkey’s airports by the US transport aircraft when needed.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Ecevit stressed that Turkey and the United States would stand to benefit from cooperation and the exchange of intelligence information on the developments in Northern Afghanistan. In fact, Turkey intends to increase, her continuing assistance to the Northern Alliance in terms of material, training and other facilities.

The Prime Minister also declared the Turkish Government’s determination in continuing its contribution into alleviating the plight of the Afghani people going on for many long years by now and stressed the significance of humanitarian assistance to be provided to the Afghani people by the international community.”

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