INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY AGAINST TERRORISM THREATENING THE PEACE

While the echoes of the American operation against Iraq still continue; in all the international meetings the emphasis has been put on the fact that "any country or society will not stand out of the scope of the terrorism and it is very important to cooperate and establish solidarity on the international level to fight against terrorism threatening the regional peace and stability."

Southeastern European Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Center (RACVIAC) held an international meeting in Istanbul on March 31-April 02, 2003. The experts from 20 countries who took part in this meeting dealt with "the Threat Against the Regional Peace: Terrorism" expressed "the biggest obstacle for the regional peace and instability is the terrorism. Turkey, which has been struggling successfully against the terror in the framework of the concept of struggle against the terrorism, has also drawn attention to the significance of the joint struggle and cooperation in the international platform as well."

During the meeting, it has pointed out that after the 11 September attacks in the USA, it has realized that the terrorism is a fact necessitating a joint struggle of whole world and the consideration on the terrorism has been changed. Furthermore, the methods of the joint struggle against the terrorism in the world have developed; however they are not sufficient. It has been emphasized: "the fact of terrorism, which began in the history with the individual acts, has become in the course of time a political fact exploiting the nationalism, religious beliefs and ideologies. It has been a means used for years by the peoples, groups and states for their own interests and aims."

During the meeting it has expressed: "as a result of the activities of the PKK (KADEK), which is included in the list of terrorists organizations by the EU and USA, 30.000 persons died, nearly 2000 buildings, among which are 250 schools, 110 mosques, 50 health centers, are destroyed. The KADEK has been getting financial and human sources through more than 450 associations, establishments and nearly 300 member firms of the KARSAZ, the Kurdish Businessmen Association. It has been making the organizational propaganda aiming to escalate the violence, through 3 television channels and 25 daily newspapers and periodicals." It has also been stressed that Turkey spends 100 billion dollars in order to fight against the terrorism and the KADEK, which pose threat to the regional and European countries with its armed cadres totaling almost 5000 persons, should be included to the "terrorists organizations list" by the EU.

This meeting has put emphasis on the fact that all the countries and international institutions should consider this issue in an objective way and show solidarity/cooperation in the fight against terrorism in order to take permanent measures without losing more victims to the terrorism and at the end of the meeting, the methods for getting success in the fight against the terrorism are listed as follows:

1. To reconsider the concept of "political crimes" limiting the international cooperation in the fight against the terrorism.

2. To make a joint definition of the terrorism.

3. To fill the gaps in regard to terrorism in the international law

4. An international organization should be established within the United Nations for the fight against terrorism and the list of terrorist organizations should be formed.

5. Within the NATO, working groups for the fight against terrorism should be established, actions plans of this fight should be prepared and they should be implemented and controlled.

6. The concessions against the states violating these decisions and supporting terrorism should be clearly determined.

We should not use double standard in the fight against terrorism. Let struggle together against the terrorists targeting the innocent persons with whatever reason!.. Those who do not respect human life, trying to destroy the peace and friendship and create conflicts among religions will not win any more.