Ecevit meets Sonia Gandhi

" I admire your struggle," said Bulent Ecevit to Sonia Gandhi, emphasizing that her struggle reminds him of the struggle Rahsan Ecevit went through at the time of the September 12th coup in Turkey.

       In his visit to India, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had a chance to fulfill one of his dreams. Though the visit was planned to be more cultural and economical, issues of Pakistan and foreign policy depending on international terrorism has become the highlights of the visit. Articulating the importance of secularism and how attached the military is to democracy, Ecevit stated the closeness he feels to India. Expressing a similarity between Rahsan Ecevit's struggle at the time of the September 12th coup and the struggle Sonia Gandhi is currently giving, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said, " I was imprisoned during that time democracy was impeded in Turkey. My wife, Rahsan Ecevit, established our party and helped bring it to the present. I think that the struggle you have been giving after your husband and that of my wife's is very similar. I know it is hard, and I watch you in admiration."

Terror agreement

       An issue that has been discussed during the visit was the cooperation against terror. Both sides evaluated the regional and international terror actions in the South East part of Turkey and in the Keshmir, Afghan borders of India. The sides decided to pursue a decisive and cooperative action against these terror actions. An ' Act of International Terrorism' will be signed in September to outline this cooperation. The sides condemn the drug smuggling traffic in Afghanistan and the women's rights violations and terrorist actions in the country. The sides also agreed to establish a strict control mechanism to stop the transfer of arms to this country.