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U.S. to support Turkey’s combating terrorism

Türkiye Materials 11 January 2012 18:02 (UTC +04:00)
The U.S. will continue to support Turkey’s efforts in combating terrorism, in particular Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns told in an interview with Anadolu News Agency, which was published on the U.S. State Department’s official website.
U.S. to support Turkey’s combating terrorism

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 11 /Trend A.Badalova /

The U.S. will continue to support Turkey's efforts in combating terrorism, in particular Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns told in an interview with Anadolu News Agency, which was published on the U.S. State Department's official website.

"We remain strongly supportive of Turkey's struggle against our common enemy, the PKK," Burns said.

The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

The PKK, which has fought an armed struggle for nearly 30 years, rejects the "terrorist" label and says it is fighting for Kurdish rights and independence.

Burns said the U.S. will continue to look for further practical ways to cooperate and to demonstrate that their commitment to working with Turkey in that common struggle against the PKK is as strong as ever.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has been on-going for more than 25 years, claiming over 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by both the UN and the EU.

PKK militants have previously threatened the Turkish authorities with intensified armed conflict if concrete steps are not taken to address the long-term Kurdish problem.

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