Turkey denies nuclear weapons accusations

Turkey has denied claims published in the German newspaper Die Welt that Ankara is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, the country’s foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said yesterday.

In a statement Bilgic said: “The claims published in Die Welt on 21 September have nothing to do with the truth.”

Bilgic stressed: “Turkey attaches great importance to issues of arms control and disarmament and is a party to all relevant international treaties and conventions including, in particular, the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is also an active participant in international efforts in these areas.”

He pointed out that due to his country’s proximity to countries which pose high risks of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; it has prioritised turning the Middle East into a “weapons of mass destruction” free zone, calling for a conference on establishing the zone with the participation of all the countries in the region. Adding: “We are following the developments in this area closely and our role in international efforts to reduce these developments reaching worrying levels.”

He stressed that Turkey is fully committed to its objective of cleansing the world of nuclear weapons, strongly adhering to the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the framework of the treaty.