ANKARA
A spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the red bulletin issued by Interpol against Iraq's Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi aimed at sharing information among countries, thus it was not an arrest warrant.
"The red bulletin issued by Interpol is basically the organization's move to share a piece of information with other countries upon a notice by a member country. Therefore, it is not an international arrest warrant," said MFA spokesperson Selcuk Unal at a press briefing in Ankara on Thursday.
"Besides, Interpol is not authorized to demand an arrest or extradition from the related country or member countries in connection with this issue," he said.
Upon a question on Iraqi government spokesman Ali Al Dabbagh's recent remarks stating that Turkey's failure to extradite al-Hashemi might harm Turkey-Iraq relations, Unal said Turkey's expectations and policy regarding Iraq were clear.
"Turkey does not intervene in Iraq's internal affairs. It does not have a secret or secondary agenda either," he underscored.
The spokesperson said Turkey would continue to monitor the developments in Iraq as a neighboring country, moreover, it would hold talks with all political groups in that country as it attached importance to Iraq's stability.
He also said al-Hashemi had not sought asylum in Turkey, and after all, he was still Iraq's vice president.
Interpol on Tuesday issued a red bulletin against Tariq al-Hashemi, placing him on its most-wanted list upon the demand of the Iraqi national government.
Al-Hashemi, currently in Turkey for medical treatment, is being tried in absentia in Baghdad on charges of terrorism as well as guiding and financing death squads that targeted government officials, security forces and Shiite pilgrims.
The vice president denies the charges and claims those charges are politically motivated.
Turkish Deputy Premier Bekir Bozdag said Wednesday that al-Hashemi was in Turkey for medical treatment and Turkey had no plans to extradite him.
Turkish MFA expresses hope for improvement of ties with France after elections
Turkey expects to improve ties with the new administration to take office in France after the latest presidential elections, a spokesperson for the Turkish foreign ministry has said.
Addressing reporters in Ankara on Thursday Selcuk Unal, recalled the measures announced by Turkey upon recent French efforts to pass a law criminalizing denial of Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915.
"The current situation in Turkish-French relations, which date back to more than five centuries, does not match with this deep-rooted history. Our hope is to see the re-establishment of common sense after the excitement of elections, to proceed with our relations with an understanding of friendship and partnership during the term of office of the new French president, and to leave behind the problems we have been going through in recent years," Unal said.
Upon a question on the chapters blocked by France in Turkey's ongoing EU process, the spokesperson said that Turkey expected the chapters suspended during the term of outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy due to political reasons to be re-opened in the upcoming period.
Tension escalated betwen Ankara and Paris, as France, which passed a law in 2001 officially recognizing the Armenian claims regarding the incidents of 1915, has recently attempted to pass a law criminalizing the denial of Armenian allegations, that was adopted by the French Parliament but later rejected by the Constitutional Council.
Turkish-French relations were also hurt when the previous French administration blocked Turkey from negotiating certain chapters in its EU process.
Greek Cypriots' concrete support for solution essential in Cyprus negotiations
Unal has said the Greek Cypriot party's displaying concrete support for a solution in Cyprus was of utmost importance for the negotiation process in the island.
Addressing reporters at a press briefing in Ankara on Thursday, spokesperson Selcuk Unal of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) replied to questions regarding the upcoming Greek Cypriot rotating presidency of the European Union (EU).
Unal said Turkey had been hoping that a settlement could be achieved in Cyprus until July 1, moreover, it had been supporting the creative initiatives presented by the Turkish Cypriot side within that framework.
Noting that negotiations in the island have practically stopped, Unal said it was now apparent that an international conference would not be able to convene under current circumstances.
The spokesperson said Turkey now waited for the results of the studies carried out by UN in an effort to determine the steps to be taken until July 1.
"The essential point here is the Greek Cypriot party's displaying concrete support for a solution, as well as its will to respond to the Turkish party's proposals," the spokesperson said.
The Greek Cypriot administration will be holding the rotating presidency of the EU starting from July.
Turkey has earlier announced that it would suspend its relations with the EU presidency during the second half of 2012 unless a solution was found to the Cyprus question until that time.
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