Gul: "Fighting terrorism requires the use of all means, not only military ones"

The fight against terrorism cannot be waged through military means alone, as all resources must be mobilized to destroy the terrorist PKK, said President Abdullah Gul yesterday. He made the remarks while visiting the construction site for a tunnel between Istanbul's Sariyer and Cayirbasi districts, where he learned about the project and posed for photos together with workers there. Speaking to reporters, Gul called terrorism Turkey's biggest issue, saying that destroying terrorism and the groups behind it is the duty of any state. All state institutions must help to end the terrorist threat so the sacrifice of young men towards this end is no longer needed, Gul said. Stressing that fighting terrorism should be a priority for all governments, Gul said, "Terrorism cannot be fought through military means alone, but all resources should be mobilized. Diplomacy, and our army and police, which wage the war against terrorism with great sacrifice and bravery, become part of this fight where appropriate. Other elements also step in to win the hearts of the people in regions threatened by terrorism." Stating that not all aspects of the fight can be discussed publicly, Gul said, "There are publicly known and unknown aspects of this issue. You can't discuss everything about such a difficult struggle in public." The way the fight is waged is up to the nation's experts, Gul said, including commanders, security forces, intelligence officers, and economic, social or cultural experts where appropriate. Gul also urged that terrorism not be used for political fodder, as this only helps the terrorists.