Mr. President,

Let me start in congratulating you on your election as the President of the Second Conference on Facilitating the Entry Into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. We are confident that under your able leadership this Conference will be conducted in an efficient and fruitful manner.

Like many previous speakers, I also would like to express, at the outset, Turkish people's profound sympathy to the American people for the horrendous terrorist attacks occurred on 11 September 2001, targeted against the entire humanity, which we all condemn. On this sad occasion, I would like to reaffirm once again Turkey's full support for and solidarity with the US Government's efforts in fighting terrorism.
 

Mr. President,

My delegation has already aligned itself with the statement made by the distinguished representative of Belgium on behalf of the European Union on facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
 

Mr. President,

Two years have passed since we gathered for the first Article XIV Conference and we are pleased to note that today with 161 signatures and 85 ratifications, the CTBT bas already approached the status of a universal treaty. Nevertheless, this record still falls short of ensuring the coming into force of the CTBT.

As we all know, testing lies at the heart of the issue of nuclear proliferation. For this reason, the international community has long been searching for a prohibition on all nuclear explosions in all environments. The culmination of these efforts has brought about the conclusion of the CTBT. As stated in its Preamble, the aim of the CTBT is to contribute to the prevention of proliferation of nuclear weapons, to nuclear disarmament, and thus to the enhancement of international peace and security. In this vein, the CTBT marks a milestone in the history of international cooperation for making the world safer and more stable.
 

Mr. President,

In view of her geographical proximity to regions where proliferation is a tangible threat, Turkey closely follows the developments in this field and actively participates in collective endeavors aimed at devising measures to reverse this alarming trend. Being located at the intersection of major regional conflicts, Turkey is a security-conscious State, aware of the responsibility bestowed upon her for contributing to the search for international é peace and security.

In line with this responsibility, Turkey signed the CTBT on the day it was opened for signature, as one of the 44 states whose ratifications are required for the Treaty to enter into force. The Treaty was approved by the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the instrument of ratification was submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations on 16t" February 2000.

Turkey appreciates the efforts made by the Preparatory Commission to establish a global verification regime, which is unprecedented in the history of arms control. Hosting one of the primary seismic stations that will function as part of the International Monitoring System, Turkey plays a significant role within the context of this verification network. Furthermore, our seismic station has been transmitting data both to the Provisional International Data Center and to the International Data Center, even before the entry into force of the Treaty.

We have also hosted the "Inter-regional Workshop on International Cooperation and National Implementation/ Ratification Procedures" from 21st to 24th" of May this year in Istanbul. We hope that the Workshop made a substantial contribution to progressing towards ensuring ratification and implementation of the CTBT by those States that are not yet Parties.
 

Mr. President,

The credibility of the whole non-proliferation regime will be influenced by whether and how effectively the CTBT will also strengthen the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), by giving impetus to nuclear weapon States for the fulfillment of their obligation under Article VI. Therefore, if we want to see our wish for a more peaceful and safer world come true, we should spare no effort to make sure that the CTBT enters into force as soon as possible.
 

Thank you, Mr. President.
 
 

Sources

• http://www.un.org/webcast/ctbt/statements/turkeyE.htm