...

US stresses need for "three-way cooperation" on fight against PKK for Turkey

Iran Materials 19 July 2006 17:27 (UTC +04:00)

(Hurriyet) - US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack, speaking at a press conference yesterday, responded to questions over whether or not the US would support a possible Turkish incursion into Northern Iraq to fight PKK forces operating from there, reports Trend.

Said McCormack, "I do not believe this is something we have supported in the past. What we support is the coalition forces, working together with the Iraqi and Turkish governments, coming together to fight against the PKK terror threat."

Mcormack underlined the US official stance on the PKK, saying "We see the PKK organization as a terror group. We see the fact that Turkish soldiers are losing their lives in terrorist attacks as worrisome. What we are trying to do is strengthen our three-way cooperation efforts against this group. These subjects were touched on both during Secretary of State Rice's visit to Ankara, and during Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's visit to Washington, DC."

In further statements on the matter, US Ambassador to Ankara, Ross Wilson, said this week that there should be cooperation between Turkey, Iraq, and the coalition forces in fighting the PKK. In response, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that not ambassadors, but Turkey itself, would be making the decisions on this matter.

Latest

Latest