Bashir rejects genocide charges, Turk pres urges responsible action

Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo last month asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, saying his state apparatus had killed 35,000 people and indirectly at least another 100,000.

Bashir, who has defied the ICC and calls the court's move part of a neo-colonialist agenda to protect the interests of developed countries, said that his government forces were not responsible for crimes in Darfur. Â

"We are not committing genocide in Darfur," Bashir told Turkish President Abdullah Gul during a meeting in Istanbul, according to a Turkish official close to the talks.

"We are saddened by the events there," Bashir was quoted as saying.

The two men, who met for 30 minutes on the sidelines of a Turkey-Africa economic summit, did not discuss the ICC nor the case against Bashir. Bashir does not accept the legitimacy of the court.

A panel of judges is reviewing evidence submitted by the prosecutor to decide whether there are reasonable grounds to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir, who arrived in Istanbul on Monday to attend the three-day Turkey-Africa economic cooperation summit. However, ICC judges could take weeks or months to issue a warrant, sources told hurriyet.com.tr.

Even if an arrest warrant was issued while he was in Turkey, it would be highly unlikely that Turkish authorities would arrest him because the country has not signed the court’s treaty and is not bound by its provisions. 

NATO-member Turkey has not ratified the treaty forming the ICC, but was under pressure to become a member as part of negotiations to join the European Union.

GUL URGES FOR END TO SUFFERING

Turkey's president urged Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir during talks Tuesday to act responsibly and to end the suffering in the devastated Darfur region.

"Human suffering agitates all, no matter which religion, ethnicity or language those who suffer belong to," Turkish President Abdullah Gul told al-Bashir during their closed-door meeting, the state-run news Anatolia news agency reported.

"Everyone needs to do their part to alleviate this pain," Gul said.

A Turkish official who was at the talks confirmed the report, adding that al-Bashir accused foreign parties of interference in Darfur, without elaborating.

Gul met later on Tuesday top African officials, including Djibouti's President Omar Guelleh and Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi.

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT

The Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit hosted by Gul began in Istanbul on Monday with a meeting of high-level officials. Gul also met heads of delegations of countries that are currently in Istanbul to attend the Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit.

 

A meeting of foreign ministers attending the summit was held in the same day.Â

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan asked his African counterparts in the meeting to support Turkey's candidacy for a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council.

"We assure you that we will do our best to be the voice of Africa along with African nations on the Security Council," Babacan said.

Presidents from six countries, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, Mali ve Sudan; and six prime ministers from Ethiopia, Morocco, Niger, Togo, Rwanda and Uganda will attend the summit.

The summit, which will be held under the banner of "Solidarity and Cooperation for a Common Future," will also host representatives from around 20 international bodies such as the U.N., African Development Bank, and the Arab League.

The three-day summit was officially launched on Tuesday with the participation of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

The Istanbul summit tries to seek ways to improve Turkey's relations with African countries and develop a sustainable cooperation path.

Bashir was among heads of state attending the Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit, aimed at expanding diplomatic and trade ties with the African continent. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was not expected to attend. 

 

 

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