MR. PRESIDENT,

AT THE OUTSET, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE 2000 NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE. I AM CONFIDENT THAT UNDER YOUR ABLE LEADERSHIP, THE CONFERENCE WILL BE SUCCESSFULLY GUIDED THROUGH ITS CHALLENGING AGENDA.

MR. PRESIDENT,

MY DELEGATION HAS SUBSCRIBED TO THE STATEMENT MADE ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. IN ORDER NOT TO REPEAT POINTS COVERED BY EU'S STATEMENT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE TURKISH DELEGATION.

IN ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENTRY INTO FORCE, THE TREATY ON THE NON PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTINUES TO REMAIN AS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE GLOBAL NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME AND THE ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION FOR THE PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT. IN THIS SPIRIT, SINCE ITS VERY INCEPTION, TURKEY SUPPORTED AND PROMOTED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OBJECTIVES LAID DOWN IN THE TREATY.

WE ATTACH UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE REVIEW PROCESS AND VALUE THIS CONFERENCE AS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE OPERATION OF THE NPT FOLLOWING THE INDEFINITE EXTENSION OF THE TREATY BACK IN 1995.

MR. PRESIDENT,

SINCE THE 1995 REVIEW AND EXTENSION CONFERENCE, A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL STATES HAVE ACCEDED TO THE NPT, BRINGING THE NUMBER OF PARTIES UP TO 187. MORE COUNTRIES HAVE RATIFIED THE NPT THAN ANY OTHER ARMS LIMITATIONS AND DISARMAMENT AGREEMENT, A TESTAMENT TO THE TREATY'S SIGNIFICANCE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL FOUR STATES THAT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER PREFER NOT TO JOIN THE NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME. UNLESS AND UNTIL THE NPT ENJOYS UNIVERSAL ADHERENCE, STATES PARTIES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE EXPOSED TO SAME RISKS. WE THEREFORE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT ENSURING THE UNIVERSALITY OF AND FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE TREATY STILL REMAINS ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING TODAY. WE URGE ALL STATES NOT YET PARTY TO THE NPT TO JOIN IT IN THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME.

MR. PRESIDENT,

ON THE OTHER HAND, CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT SINCE THE 1995 REVIEW AND EXTENSION CONFERENCE.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FIRST ITEM IN THE PROGRAMME OF ACTION ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT IN THE PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES, THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY (CTBT) WAS CONCLUDED IN 1996. THIS MADE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO PREVENTING THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, PROMOTING THE PROCESS OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY.

TURKEY SIGNED THE CTBT ON THE DAY IT WAS OPENED FOR SIGNATURE. AS ONE OF THE 44 STATES WHOSE RATIFICATION IS NEEDED FOR THE TREATY TO COME INTO FORCE, I AM PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT TURKEY HAS FULFILLED THIS OBLIGATION IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE CTBT AT AN EARLY DATE AND ITS EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION WILL CERTAINLY BE BENEFICIAL TO THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME.

MR. PRESIDENT,

ANOTHER MAJOR AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT STEP ENVISAGED BY THE ACTION PROGRAMME CONTAINED IN THE DECISION ON THE PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES IS THE IMMEDIATE COMMENCEMENT AND RAPID CONCLUSION OF NEGOTIATIONS ON A UNIVERSAL, NONDISCRIMINATORY AND EFFECTIVELY VERIFIABLE TREATY BANNING THE PRODUCTION OF FISSILE MATERIALS FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS OR OTHER EXPLOSIVE NUCLEAR DEVICES.

THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT'S INABILITY TO START NEGOTIATIONS ON THIS TREATY, ALONGSIDE THE STATE OF INERTIA ON ITS WIDER AGENDA HAS BECOME A LINGERING SOURCE OF DISAPPOINTMENT. WE HOPE THAT THE CD WILL SOON TAKE THIS ESSENTIAL STEP FOR GLOBAL NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT BY COMMENCING NEGOTIATIONS ON FMCT WITHOUT ANY PRE-CONDITIONS.

THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AD-HOC COMMITTEE IN THE CD TO NEGOTIATE WITH A VIEW

TO REACHING AGREEMENT ON EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS TO ASSURE NON-NUCLEAR WEAPON STATES AGAINST THE USE OR THREAT OF USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS WOULD ALSO CONSTITUTE A CONSIDERABLE STEP FORWARDS REACHING OUR COMMON OBJECTIVES.

TURKEY ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE CONTINUAL COMMITMENT OF ALL NPT STATES PARTIES TO FULFIL ALL THE OBLIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN DURING THE INDEFINITE EXTENSION OF THE TREATY. WE WELCOME THE UNILATERAL AND BILATERAL EFFORTS OF THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES TO COMPLY WITH RELEVANT ARTICLES OF THE TREATY.

WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, WE ALSO WELCOME THE RECENT RATIFICATION OF START II AND THE CTBT BY THE RUSSIAN STATE DUMA AS AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT. WE SINCERELY HOPE THAT IT WILL BE CONDUCIVE TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF START III NEGOTIATIONS AND WILL HAVE POSITIVE REPERCUSSIONS IN OTHER ARMS CONTROL PROCESSES.

MR. PRESIDENT,

THE CREATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONES, ON THE BASIS OF ARRANGEMENTS CONCLUDED FREELY BETWEEN STATES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS WILL STRENGTHEN GLOBAL AS WELL AS REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY. TURKEY WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH ZONES WHEREVER POSSIBLE AND PRACTICALLY FEASIBLE.

IN THIS CONTEXT, WE WELCOME THE STEPS TAKEN BY STATES TO CONCLUDE FURTHER NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONE TREATIES SINCE 1995, ESPECIALLY THE INITIATIVE LAUNCHED BY UZBEKISTAN, KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN AND TURKMENISTAN IN BISHKEK IN 1998, TO ESTABLISH SUCH A ZONE IN CENTRAL ASIA. WE PLEDGE OUR FULL SUPPORT TO THIS COMMENDABLE INITIATIVE AND ENCOURAGE ALL NUCLEAR WEAPON STATES TO WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY TOWARDS ITS REALIZATION.

MR. PRESIDENT,

TURKEY HAS REPEATEDLY VOICED HER CONCERNS ABOUT THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND BALLISTIC MISSILE TESTS CONDUCTED IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE LAST YEARS. WE HAVE MADE CLEAR THAT THESE DEVELOPMENTS WOULD HAVE SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS ON REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SECURITY AND STABILITY. A NEW SPIRAL OF NUCLEAR ARMS RACE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

THE MIDDLE EAST IS ONE OF THE REGIONS WHERE THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND THEIR DELIVERY MEANS POSES A TANGIBLE THREAT. TURKEY ENJOYS DEEP-ROOTED HISTORICAL TIES WITH THE MIDDLE EAST AND PROMOTES CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH ALL THE COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES OF THE REGION. DUE TO ITS GEOGRAPHICAL PROXIMITY TO THE REGION, TURKEY MONITORS WITH VIGILANCE THE EVOLUTION IN THE SCALE OF THIS THREAT AND TAKES PART IN COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AIMED AT DEVISING MEASURES TO REVERSE THIS ALARMING MENACE.

WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW CONFERENCE SHOULD ENVISAGE SUBSTANTIVE FURTHER STEPS TO BE ACHIEVED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AS WELL AS ADDRESS THE OBJECTIVES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ATTAINED SINCE 1995. WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, WE BELIEVE THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1995 RESOLUTION ON MIDDLE EAST WILL FURTHER CONTRIBUTE TO BRING ABOUT PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION.

MR. PRESIDENT,

THE SUCCESS OF THE NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME DEPENDS NOT ONLY ON THE ADOPTION OF TREATIES BUT ALSO ON COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR PROVISIONS. IN THE CASE OF THE NPT, SAFEGUARDS CONTAINED IN ARTICLE III ARE DESIGNED FOR THE EXCLUSIVE PURPOSE OF VERIFICATION OF THE FULFILMENT OF OBLIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE TREATY WITH A VIEW TO PREVENTING DIVERSION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY FROM PEACEFUL USES TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS OR OTHER NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. IT IS OUR FIRM BELIEF THAT THE STRENGTHENING OF SAFEGUARDS IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL AND NON-PROLIFERATION. THE FACT THAT THERE ARE STILL 54 PARTIES TO THE NPT WHICH HAVE NOT YET BROUGHT INTO FORCE THE SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, AS REQUIRED BY THE TREATY, IS A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR US. THE EVENTS WHICH HAVE SUCCEEDED THE GULF WAR HAS PROVED THE NEED FOR THE ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS, IN ORDER TO PREVENT DIVERSION OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS OR EQUIPMENT, PURCHASED FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES, TO THE ACTIVITIES PROHIBITED BY THE NPT. WE ARE PREPARING TO CONCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL WITH IAEA FOR THE APPLICATION OF SAFEGUARDS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

MR. PRESIDENT,

THE BEST MEANS TO PREVENT ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS IS TO APPLY EFFECTIVELY MEASURES OF PHYSICAL PROTECTION. THE DISCUSSION ON WHETHER THERE IS NEED TO REVISE THE CONVENTION ON THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL STILL CONTINUES. IN THE MEANWHILE, THE IAEA, THROUGH ITS "INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL PROTECTION SERVICE" ASSISTS STATES TO UPGRADE THEIR NATIONAL SYSTEMS. WE HOPE THIS SERVICE WILL BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED AND EXTENDED.

THE NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP AND THE ZANGGER COMMITTEE ALSO DESERVE A SPECIAL MENTION FOR THEIR VALUABLE WORK TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY AND TO FOSTER DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION AMONG ALL INTERESTED PARTIES. TURKEY HAS JOINED THE ZANGGER COMMITTEE AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A MEMBER TO THE NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP, WHICH WE HOPE TO FINALIZE VERY SOON.

IN CONCLUSION, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE MY GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUED FULL SUPPORT TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THE NPT. MY GOVERNMENT ALSO WISHES ALL THE SUCCESS TO THIS CONFERENCE.

THANK YOU.