Gen. Buyukanit: "Terrorism is the worst plague of the 21st century"

The Silk Road 2008 General/Admiral Seminar started yesterday in Antalya. Nearly 200 people from 49 countries, including generals, admirals and ambassadors, are attending the meeting, whose theme this year is global security and international cooperation. At the seminar's opening ceremony, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said that terrorism was the worst plague of the 21st century, despite the lack of a common definition for it, adding that terrorism cannot be fought effectively in the absence of international cooperation. Buyukanit said that no type of terrorism can be considered legitimate, no matter what ideology it espouses, adding, "Moreover, even tendencies towards legitimizing terrorism are unacceptable." Buyukanit said that efforts in areas such as diplomacy, intelligence, the economy, finance, information and law are as important as military methods in fighting terrorism, since terrorist groups act much like international crime organizations through engaging in drug and human trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, bootlegging, and kidnapping for ransom. In related news, asked about Europe's failure to ban PKK activities on the continent, EU Military Committee Chairman Gen. Henri Bentegeat said, "Terrorism is an issue that goes beyond military matters." Bentegeat said EU countries' sensitivity to terrorism has been known to shift over time. For his part, Giampaolo Di Paola, the chair of NATO's Military Committee, said that relations between NATO and the EU must be improved, adding, "We lack the resources to appear on the international stage as we should. NATO and the EU should work hand in hand."