STATEMENT BY THE HEAD OF THE DELEGATION OF TURKEY
Mr. Chairma,
Distinguished Representatives,
At the outset my Delegation congratulates you and other members of the Bureau for being elected to the responsible tasks of guiding our deliberations.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Executive Director and his staff for their persistent efforts to contribute to the worldwide prevention of drug abuse in all its aspects.
My Delegation believes that during 1996 the INCB has done remarkable work. The INCB Annual Report and the Special Report on Precursors for 1996 constitute very precise and correct evaluations of the world drug situation. I deem it a duty to thank the President of the INCB, Dr.Schröder for his innovative leadership of the theoretical aspect of the fight aganist drugs.
Mr. Chairman,
The world drug situation is increasingly differing each year, from that of the past 10 years, particularly in the different issues and trends it comprises of. The 40th Session of the Commission is assembled at such a time. When we have to deal seriously and earnestly with new issues. Allow me to elaborate on these issues...
As regards licit production, 10 years ago the INCB was very concerned about the stocks of opiate raw materials produced by the traditional licit producers. The world has changed immensely nowadays. It is sometimes difficult to encourage farmers to produce opiate raw materials. Now, we face the risk a shortage of opiate raw materials. When 10 years ago, we had a working group to deal with stocks, today we have a consultation group of suppliers and demanders to bring a balance between production and consumption and to prevent any shortage of supply. In this connection, Turkey as one of the two licit traditional supplier of concentrate poppy straw exporting, 67 tonnes in morphine equivalent, representing 57% of the world total exports in 1995. Cultivation continued in the unlanced method, which is the most secure system of production, whilst at the same time the most costly.
There has been no diversion of this production to illicit channels, due to the intense efforts of the Turkish law enforcement agencies.
On the other hand, illicit production of narcotic and psychotropic substances have indicated no decreasing trend in the world, in 1996. the cultivation of and illicit traffic and abuse of cannabis was widespread in Africa.
Cannabis remained the main drug of abuse in North and South America. Illicit poppy cultivation estimated at 22.900 hectares has taken place only in one North American Country. Illicit opium poppy cultivation and opium production, heroin manufacture and large scale illicit trafficking in opiates, constituted the greatest problems of south east Asia. Cannabis was illicitly cultivated in this area too.
As regards Europe, increasing production and abuse of opium and of poppy straw continued in Central and Eastern Europe. Illicit trafficking in poppy straw was on the increase in several CIS member states. Cannabis remained the main narcotic drug of abuse in Europe. The Balkan route was still the main route for smuggling heroin. It was estimated that 75% of the heroin smuggled into Europe was transported along the Balkan Route.
Being located on the Balkan Route, carrying Eastern illicit drugs to Europe, during 1996 too, Turkey persistently continued its fight against heroin smuggling along this route. Large number of acetic anhydride shipments from counties in western Europe and from CIS member countries, continued to be smuggled into Turkey. Acetic Anhydrate producers in Europe could not exert efficient measures to prevent their exports to be diverted to illicit purposes.
Consequently in 1995 seizures of acetic anhydride doubled in Turkey. Significant amount of acetic anhydride has been smuggled into Turkey, due to insufficient control of exporting countries. A certain amount of this substance was utilized to convert morphine into heroin in primitive laboratories. In fact, six such primitive laboratories were dismantied by Turkish authorities in 1996. Moreover, out of the total seizure of 11 tons of heroin in the world, 7 tons were seized in Europe and 4 1/2 tons only in Turkey in 1996. This indicates seizures by the Turkish authorities alone constitute more than half of total European seizures.
As regards the production and abuse of psychotropic substances, the illicit manufacture and abuse of amphetamine and amphetamine derivtives also increased substantively in Europe. During the same year, there was a drastic increase in the illicit manufacture and abuse of MDMA (Ecstasy) in this area. 20 clandestine laboratories were dismantled in the Netherlands. Large amounts of seizures were reported in UK and Austria, indicating a 10 fold availability of this drug in those countries. LSD was produced and abused in increasing quantities in Europe.
This picture of the production and abuse of narcotic and psychotropic substances in the world, presents a grim situation. It is a clear indication that illicit drugs, whether narcotic or psychotropic are not, as 10 or 20 years before, illicitly produced in some under developed areas of the world, and trafficked to Europe.
They are produced everywhere. Primitive narcotic substances such as poppy straw, opium, cannabis etc. continue to be produced in the traditional areas.
But the new and most threatening development is that psychotropic substances, nowadays more widely abuse, and replacing narcotics, are incrasingly illicitly produced in the developed countries in Europe and in North America are increasingly abused all over the world.
Mr. Chairman,
This picture clearly implies that not all countries are committed to prevent abuse of drugs. There is no justification to ask some countries to take very strict control measure over their cultivation while others are not under the same obligation to do so. The substances may differ, but the result is drug abuse, abuse of the human society. If the world would seriously undertake a combat against drug abuse, all countries should be equally committed to this purpose, every contry should fulfill its obligation.
Within this framework, heroin smuggling, which is one of the major components of drug abuse in Europe, can be prevented by stricter export congrols of the precursors exporting countries. The President of the INCB has made specific proposals to precursors exporting countries to fulfill their obligations under article 12 of the 1988 Convention.
Exporting countries should examine their current system for sharing information and should take immediate steps to strengthen those systems. We need uniform action to stop heroin trafficking.
The Turkish Government is kept under the obligation to intercept 75% of the heroin trafficking to Europe. While the European exporters of acetic anhydrate (which is a precursor utilized in the heroin manufacture) do not wish to take similar responsibilities to exert strict control over the export of this substance. We urge these exporting countries to show similar vigilance, to stop smuggling of acetic anhydride to Turkey.
Mr.Chairman,
The second serious tendency that the world community is faced with, is that all member countries do not share the same view in the way of combat agains drugs. Some believe there is no harm in prescribing drug to drug addicts, on the contraty, they consider such an approach might help to prevent criminal activities related to drugs. WHO and the INCB and a large number of countries find this a very wrong approach, one that might burst drug abuse in the coming years when it is more widely accepted. It is impossible to pursue a global combat against drug abuse with two incompatible approaches. My Delegation believes that the growing movement to allow the non-medical use of some drugs such as cannabis should be ended. The promotion activities, advertisements in the media for the licit use of stimulants should be prevented.
The INCB has requested all Governments to strictly implement the provisions of article 10 of the 1971 Convention, which prohibits the advertisement of psychotropic substances to general public.
These are very requisite incentives for the continuation of my country's commitment to intercept the increasing volume of drug trafficking across Turkey.
There can be no double standards in the combat against drugs as in some other issues because this is a subject threatening the wellbeing and health of the world community.
The third problem we face is that related to the structure of the bodies and organs that are entitled to pursue the prevention of drug trafficking and abuse both, from the UN and from the member governments aspect.
My Delegation is of the conviction that both the UNDCP and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs need to be reformed to respond to the present immense problems of the drug issue.
My Government is very appreciative of the weighted role and the hard work of the INCB. Particularly in its 1996 Report, the INCB has pinpointed all the contemporary drug issues and suggested very specific solutions to solve them. Although this approach might be disturbing to some countries, it is necessary and very contributory to the issue at large.
In this context, the documents issued for the Commission would be better placed, if they had elaborated more on the assessments in INCB Reports.
We would have expected these documents to give more infromation on the operational activities carried out by UNDCP, to curb the drug tendencies mentioned in INCB reports and on the impact of these activities. We would urge the Executive Director to guide UNDCP in a manner that the Commission documents would complement the INCB Reports rather than constitute basic fact sheets. This approach will save time and funds for UNDCP and will be more enlightening for the Commission.
To cite one example of the need for improvement in UNDCP Documents, allow me to draw the Commission's attention to paras 10 and 68 of Document E/CN.7/1997/4 which states follows:
"According to information provided, transportation and distribution of heroin in Europe is conducted mainly by syndicates of Turkish nationals" and "Turkish trafficking networks dominated the heroin trade".
Mr. Chairman,
It is disappointing for my Delegation to observe that although specific information and data have been provided to the UNDCP about the activities of PKK, the documents continue to call this terrorist organization "Turkish syndicates of networks".
I wish to explain once more that narcotic traffickers over Turkey or in Europe, who carry Turkish citizenship are largely members of PKK and they carry on this activity to support their primary funcitons, that is terrorism.
These expressions, without clearly indicating what syndicates of networks are, place the turkish nationals in general under accusation. The same documents give no account of Turkey's effective combat against illicit trafficking over its territory.
Similarly Section V of the same document has not touched at all the primary responsibilities of the exporting countries of acetic anhydrate, has only made a general reference to article 12 of the 1988 Convention and has given the impression that Middle East and Asia countries and Turkey are the responsible for illicit trafficking of acetic anhydrate. I would like to reiterate once more that acetic anhydrate is not produced at all in Turkey, it is smuggled into our territory from Europe.
Mr.Chairman,
In view of these setbacks in the functioning of the Programme, my Delegation welcomes UNDCP's active participation in the UN General Reform as introduced by the new Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
We are pleased that UNDCP will move from project activities into integrated programming approach, preparing programme frameworks and work plans at the national and regional levels. The concept of a global approach to key drug producing, drug abuse and trafficking areas, to provide policy guidance for the formulation of holistic strategies, will bring fruitful results.
We are pleased to note that with the new approach, UNDCP will create and manage mechanisms for international, bilateral cooperation. And that it will continue its efforts to establish inter-regional linkages, between ongoing subregional and regional cooperation programmes. We also welcome UNDCP's aim to provide ECO with technical assistance which will promote coordination of drug control activities in a region stretching from Turkey to India and China.
Fourthly, the Commission as the organ consisting of member governments, has to reform itself. Unfortunately lately, the Commission has depleted its functinary role of leadership in taking effective measures and controlling the impact of these measures relating to drugs. It has assumed the status of a Conference where statements are made and resolutions are passed. My Delegation proposes that a smaller governing body of most interested countries should be elected from this Commission, to exchange views related to specific measures and to constitute a more permanent body of representation and to suggest new measures to governments, the Commission and the UNDCP.
Mr. Chairman,
Turkey, in addition to being a major and reliable licit producer of opiate raw materials, is proceeding its effective combat against illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, which are not at all produced on its territory.
We are pleased to observe also a successful implementation of the Multi-Year assistance project between Turkey and the UNDCP. The Turkish authorities have successfully carried out the training programmes for the strengthening of the capacities of the CIS countries in the sub-sectors of police drug enforcement customs drug enforcement and prescription control and monitoring systems. My Government is willing to continue this cooperation with UNDCP.
In view of tis location in a very crucial area in the global drug trafficking map, UNDCP should include Turkey in regional and subregional projects. Its participation in projects of the Balkan and Caucasus Regions will serve to fulfill the new regional and interregional approaches that UNDCP is moving towards, under the new UN Reform.
Mr.Chairman,
The INCB, in its Annual Report for 1996 has highlighted money-laundering and indicated that measures to prevent it would constitute an effective way to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.
Accordingly the Turkish Parliament has adopted a law against Money Laundring in November 1996. Turkey, further to this, has already become a party to all three UN Conventions, in the area of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and has thus fulfilled the required obligations and actions set forth by the INCB. We believe adherence to international standards and norms to be of utmost significance and basic requirements for international cooperation. Adherence to these Conventions should also constitute the criteria of membership to this Commission.
Mr. Chairman,
My Delegation welcomes tha UNDCP initiate to identify 60 exporting and potential donors. We hope these fund raising efforts will yield results and urge the UNDCP to continue these activities. We believe more activity could be directed to encourage the private sector to contribute to UNDCP activities.
In conclusion, Mr.Chairman, I hope, at the 40th Session of this Commission, a new atmosphere of shared responsibilities and more integrated approaches can be created in line with the reform initiatives undertaken in New York.
Thank You.
