Following intensive consultations made in the United Nations Security Council, Turkey welcomed the agreement on 30 January 1999 about the method to be pursued to break the impasse over the problems related with Iraq.

We believe that the urgent implementation of this agreement and a speedy conclusion of the works of the three panels will be useful. In these efforts, with the help of objective data, we hope that a just conclusion will be reached in conformity with the letter and the spirit of the related Security Council resolutions by taking into consideration the grave humanitarian conditions in Iraq and multidimensional effects of this condition with due regard to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and to take necessary measures to prevent Iraq from obtaining these kinds of weapons henceforth.

Turkey, as a regional country and as Iraq's neighbor sincerely supports protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity. Turkey also supports that Iraq take its place in the international community by fulfilling the requirements of Security Council resolutions. With this approach, we believe that at this point, positive and constructive contributions by all parties to the process that will commence in the Security Council, bear special importance.