Terrorism a 'sickness,' Turkish chief says

ANKARA, Turkey, July 8 (UPI) -- Chief of the Turkish General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said Tuesday terrorism is a "sickness" of the modern age that requires a transnational approach.

"I think we all agree that terrorism is the most serious sickness of the 21st century, although we could not make a common definition of it," he said at a military conference in southern Turkey.

Buyukanit said national counter-terrorism strategies have had little effect at curbing the threats to the geopolitical community, adding diplomacy and intelligence were just as effective as military deterrents, the Turkish daily Hurriyet said.

He added many terrorist groups conduct themselves in much the same way as international crime syndicates and therefore require a similar method of action to thwart their activities.

Washington employs a tit-for-tat incentive program, offering support to countries that are in line with U.S. counter-terrorism policies.

He noted by example the inclusion of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, on the U.S. terrorist list was a major deterrent to drug trafficking in the region.

"Undoubtedly it is not enough to just add such crime organizations to terror lists. Such lists, which don't have a response in practice, are not useful against the struggle with terrorism," he said.