The Editor
The Washington Times
3600 New York Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

Dear Madam:

Andrew Borowiec's article "Turkey Anticipates Benefits of Answering America's Call" (Oct. 5, 2001) contains a number of assertions by Turkish officials and columnists of dubious validity:

Contrary to Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's view, Turkey is not "once again a front country." Turkey is far from Afghanistan, over a thousand miles away, and of little strategic value to the U.S. and British military actions there.

Turkish daily Milliyet's claim that Turkey's "strategic importance will be further enhanced" and columnist Sami Kohen's comment that "Turkish-U.S. relations are entering a state of true strategic cooperation" are not backed up by the facts.

Turkey's claim that the UN embargo on Iraq has cost it $35 billion is not supported by facts. Turkey has conducted large scale smuggling operations across the Iraq border in violation of the UN embargo. In addition, the IMF and World Bank have bailed out Turkey 17 times in the past decades amounting to many billions of dollars.

Turkish columnist Mehmet Ali Birand's comment that "Cyprus is no longer on [the U.S.] agenda. We are going to leave this to the European Union" is not accurate and is an attempt to divert attention from the Turkish state's "international terrorism" against Cyprus by its aggression in 1974 in violation of U.S. laws, the UN Charter, the NATO Treaty and international law. Aggression by nation states had been the main form of international terrorism until the horrific events of Sept. 11.

The current crisis will actually refocus attention on Cyprus and the double standard applied by the U.S. to Turkey's aggression and violations of the rule of law. The U.S. has stated time and time again, that it does not accept the current conditions on Cyprus and has openly criticized the unwillingness of Turkey and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to return to the U.N.- sponsored talks.

Mr. Borowiec's comment that "Turkey maintains an expeditionary force in the north" occupied area of Cyprus is indicative of this entire article which sets forth the views of the military-controlled government of Turkey. It is an illegal international aggression force, not an expeditionary force, which has occupied 37.3 percent of Cyprus with 35,000 illegal occupation troops and 80,000 illegal Turkish settlers in the occupied area in violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949.

Turkey's economic crisis is caused primarily by the military-controlled government, the military's vast ownership of businesses and official corruption. Shoring up the Turkish economy without reforming the military's hold on the modern Turkish state is self-defeating and only ensures that American interests will not be served. Meaningful economic and political reforms are needed in Turkey if she is to play an effective role in facilitating U.S. interests in the region.

No benefits should be extended to Turkey at the expense of U.S. values and foreign policy objectives. The U.S. must not relinquish long-held positions on human rights based on strong moral roots for the sake of short-term cooperation.

I would urge Mr. Borowiec to investigate

1. the Turkish military's vast business holdings and assets in the tens of billions of dollars which should be used now in Turkey's financial crisis,
2. money laundering and drug trafficking in northern occupied Cyprus, and
3. Osama bin Laden's contacts in Turkey and his two visits to Turkey on August 28, 1996 and February 17, 1998, during the period he was sought by Interpol.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMSincerely,

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEugene T. Rossides
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGeneral Counsel