Speaking to Today's Zaman, Çiçek said the only issue discussed at a security summit held by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday was the government's recent efforts to settle the Kurdish issue and that the motion was not on the agenda. Noting that the duration of the Turkish military's government authorization to launch cross-border operations into Iraq is set to expire on Oct. 17, 2009, Çiçek said a new authorization by Parliament is required to launch any new cross-border operation.
A bill authorizing the government to launch military offensives in northern Iraq was passed in October 2007 with 507 votes for and 19 against. Parliament last year agreed to extend the government's authority to deploy ground troops and conduct operations in northern Iraq.
As for whether the government plans to extend the duration of the motion, Çiçek said: “We cannot say if there is the possibility of a cross-border operation or not. It is not correct for us to talk about that. But I can assure you we did not discuss this issue on Monday. This issue will be discussed at an appropriate time.”
Noting that the only item on the agenda was the government's democratic initiative seeking to settle the Kurdish issue and security issues related to it, Çiçek said security issues related to Syria and Iraq were discussed from this perspective. He said they also discussed security measures to be taken to maintain peace during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. He also noted that the democratic initiative process will be evaluated frequently at such meetings.
Prime Minister Erdoğan met on Monday with ministers who participate in National Security Council (MGK) meetings in a 40-minute discussion at the Prime Ministry in the capital.
In the meantime, a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Today's Zaman that news stories published on Wednesday and citing details of the democratic initiative, such as putting into effect the partial amnesty law stipulated under Article 220 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) -- known as the “active repentance law,” were not new details as the government had previously provided specifics on them.
