‘Turkey can help raise voices against nuclear weapons’

By Gulsum Incekaya

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey can help raise international voices opposed to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, according to a prominent academic from South Korea.

Speaking exclusively to Anadolu Agency, Kim Woosang, a professor of political science and international studies at Yonsei University, said South Korea wants Turkey to stand with them on the issue of combatting proliferation as well as denuclearization and terrorism.

“If, on these nonproliferation and terrorism issues, Turkey, together with one or two or three other Middle Eastern countries, can raise voices against North Korea’s proliferation of nuclear weapons, that would be very helpful for the Korean Peninsula,” Woosang said.

Woosang said Turkey’s help in denuclearizing the peninsula would also help the cause of Korean unification.

“So, if Turkey can play that kind of role and raise its voice against proliferation and criticize North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons in many different venues, then that would be very very helpful for Korean unification.”

Woosang said that superpowers like the U.S. are trying to dominate medium-sized forces that have a say in both regional and global affairs and so make them dependent on these superpowers.

South Korea and Turkey could move cooperatively on many issues, Woosang said, adding that medium-sized and powerful countries like Turkey, South Korea, Australia, and Indonesia must demonstrate that they can play a role in global issues and so influence other medium-sized countries.

-Troops for peacekeeping

Woosang also argued that medium-sized forces must take part in peacekeeping operations by contributing troops.

On the possible unification of South and North Korea, Woosand said a unified peninsula would have a population of almost 80 million, adding, “So our domestic economic market would become bigger.”

But Woosang said some experts believe the north’s economic situation would put a huge burden on South Korea if they were united.