ANKARA, 11 January 2006 — Japan and Turkey agreed yesterday to boost cooperation on Iraq and work together to promote Middle East peace. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to pursue bilateral dialogues to formulate concrete measures for these issues, as well as ways to fight bird flu which has affected both countries.
“Japan wants to work with Turkey to further discuss concrete measures to assist Israel, the Palestinian territories and Iraq,” Koizumi told a joint press conference with Erdogan. “In Iraq, I believe there are many areas in which Japan and Turkey can cooperate. Offering help in the medical field is one of many examples,” Koizumi said, adding that health and welfare officials from Japan and Turkey would discuss details.
Koizumi would not specify when Japan would pull its troops out of Iraq, where they provide humanitarian aid, saying the decision must be made after the Iraqi and international situations are carefully assessed. He emphasized the geopolitical significance of Turkey, especially its common borders with Iran, Iraq and Syria, while it maintains solid relations with the West, Israel and the Palestinians.
Japan and Turkey, which have maintained solid ties for more than a century, are in positions to help bring peace to the Middle East, Koizumi said. Koizumi, the second Japanese prime minister to visit Turkey and the first to come here in 15 years, said he hoped his visit would help boost bilateral ties.
“Turkey has maintained good relations with Israel and the Palestinians. It also borders Iraq,” Koizumi said. “Japan and Turkey are partners that share the same benefits from stability in the Middle East.”
Originally, Koizumi planned to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories before coming to Turkey to show support for the fragile peace process. But he canceled the Middle East leg of his trip after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was rushed to hospital last week for emergency surgery following a massive stroke.
With general elections looming in Israel, Erdogan evaded a question on his expectations concerning Israeli politics, saying that the issue should be left the Israeli people.
Turkey, however, is prepared to join Japan in pushing for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Erdogan added. A stable Middle East is important as it will bring stability to the rest of the international community, Koizumi said. Japan relies for most of its energy resources, such as oil and gas, on the Middle East. “Japan and Turkey want to work together as we both maintain good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians,” Koizumi said.
Japan’s role in the Middle East peace process is minor compared with those of Europe and the United States, he said. He added: “But Japan is in a position to provide fair assistance to Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Iraq, to help them build their countries themselves.” Japan and Turkey also agreed to discuss what could be done together to fight the bird flu virus that has hit both countries, the two leaders said.
“I believe there are many areas in which Turkey and Japan can work together to fight bird flu,” Erdogan said, adding that the situation in his country was “fully under control.” Erdogan was confident that his administration acted promptly and properly in dealing with the outbreak, which has claimed at least two lives. On the economic front, Erdogan asked Japan to boost investment and promote tourist exchanges between the two countries. Koizumi said Japan hoped for smooth discussions during Turkey’s negotiations to join the European Union.
