PM signs anti-terror pact, keeps Iraq on hold

Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee has stated the decision on sending troops to Iraq will be taken, keeping in mind India’s own security conc...

Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee has stated the decision on sending troops to Iraq will be taken, keeping in mind India’s own security concerns. ‘‘There is no clarity on Iraq by the UN Security Council. Nobody knows what it will do tomorrow. When it will take a stand, we will take a decision keeping in mind our own security situation,’’ he said.

Vajpayee and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyib Erdogan were addressing a joint press conference. India signed three important agreements with Turkey, including the setting up of Joint Working Group on Terrorism. The instruments of ratification were exchanged on extradition treaty and tourism cooperation.

Responding to the question of ousting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, as demanded by Israel, Vajpayee condemned violence in West Asia, saying: ‘‘Violence will not achieve anything. India cannot support Arafat’s removal. He is elected representative of Palestinians and he should remain there.’’

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The Turkish PM, similarly, was non-committal on the issue of sending troops to Iraq. He said Turkey also wants UN leadership in Iraq. He said they have sent delegations to UN and depending on their reports, they will evaluate and take a decision accordingly. He went on to clarify if his country sends troops to Iraq, it will not be for any ‘‘specific community’’ (read Kurds), but will be for the security of the Iraqi population. Significantly, Turkey is divided on the question of sending troops to Iraq. While the Government seems to be in favour of it, the Army and the people at large, are against it.

India and Turkey share complete ‘‘identity of views’’ on terrorism. While India has been facing cross-border terrorism, aided and abetted by Pakistan, Turkey is facing the same problem from the Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

Later, MEA Secretary (ANA) R.M. Abhyenkar said on the issue of terrorism, both countries have unanimity of views and feel there can be no double-standards. Both the countries can do a lot in assisting each other in this field by setting-up a ‘‘common platform.’’ The Joint Working Group will go a long way in providing such a platform. He explained that terrorism in no longer being viewed from the ‘‘prism’’ of Pakistan.

In fact, it is for the first time that Turkey did not bring in the issue of Kashmir during their bilateral talks. It was only last year that Turkish Parliament had passed a resolution on the need to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. ‘‘It shows that the initiative of the Prime Minister in extending the hand of friendship has haled the desired positive fallout,’’ remarked the MEA official.

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Vajpayee, while delivering a address at the Strategic Research Centre, emphasised the need for the two countries to work for the reform of multilateral institutions like the UN. ‘‘Many of them have become ineffective while others have virtually been paralysed. The functioning of the UN and its various agencies has been less than optimal,’’ he remarked.