Soldier Calls For Martial Law Again

"Announcement made by Deputy Chief of the General Staff Ilker Basbug _ who had met with Television networks' and jourmals' Ankara representatives last week - shows that military solution to the Kurdish dispute gains weight."

"Basbug's solution alternatives evoke times of Martial Law" Tayfun Mater says, who has called for "silence to guns, end to clashes" with 150 other intellectuals on 15th of June.

The General _ who has met with journalists Monday evening _ said U.S. army officials has given direct orders to capture PKK's commanding group.

"Turkey has the right to stage a cross-border operation against PKK if Iraq doesn't fulfill its obligations" Basbug said but didn't reply when asked if military operation was on the table.

Basbug has stated that they opposed a general amnesty and demanded "struggle against those associations, people and civil society institutions assisting and making propaganda for PKK."

"Media carrying rebel statements must be prevented from making propaganda. Communication between the group and society must be cut off. It isn't right to perceive the terror news like normal ones, it would have serious results."

Basbug added that 6th article of Terror Law and 4th article of Television Regulations Law must be implied strictly.

6th article of the Terror Law regulates the punishments of those who carry terrorists organizations' statements.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said there is no final decision about a cross-border offensive into Northern Iraq in joint news conference with his Irish counterpart but added that "nothing is impossible."

"Search of a military solution gains weight"

Mater says U.S. army officials order for the capture of PKK leadership was emphasized in the meeting. He says, "I don't think military actions will result in a resolution. Even if the PKK leadership is captured it won't be a resolution; guns must be silenced for a resolution."

"We, as calling for peace, think that the military operations will come to an end of the PKK declares an unconditional cease-fire and the problems could be discussed in calm and democratic atmosphere if the government takes decisive steps."

"Alternatives evoke times of Martial Law"

"Similar statements have been made in the past by the National Security Council but they didn't have any positive results" Mater said and stated there is no new approach in this statement.

"General Staff's statement is based on view of military, a combatant camp. It is how the dispute can be resolved. There is nothing to solve the problems of the region's poor society."

Basbug has also said " We need a new institution to fight against terrorism, an institution to investigate into terror's intelligence, psychological, logistics, social, economical, educational sides and plan the future steps in a macro scale, provide coordination inside state apparatus and it should be tied to Prime Ministry."

"These alternatives _ aiming to manage people form a center _ evoke times of Martial Laws and were adopted in the past. Martial-Law-style approaches are not supposed to live in democracies," Mater commented on Basbug's statement.

"General Staff exceeds limits of authority"

Mater says Basbug's demanding "struggle against those associations, people and civil society institutions assisting and making propaganda for PKK," shows "General Staff (perpetually) exceeds limits of authority.

"These issues are Justice Ministry's business not of General Staff. General Staff is not authorized to make statements about legal issues. If there is a problem, they can call for a trial at most."