Source: Reuters
April 26, 2006 Author: staff
ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States tried on Tuesday to ease Turkey's concerns instability in Iraq was threatening its security, pledging continued support for Ankara's fight against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
NATO member Turkey has voiced concern the conflict in Iraq is allowing the PKK to launch more attacks against its forces in the country's southeast, and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Tuesday repeated his call for Washington to help more.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the formation of a new Iraqi government would help boost coordination between the three countries and prevent border incursions by the PKK, seen by both Ankara and Washington as a terrorist group.
"We obviously also are sharing information. The U.S. was active in helping in the past with the PKK and we will be active in the future," she said during a visit to Turkey.
Turkey blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people since it launched its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in 1984. Around 5,000 PKK rebels are believed to be operating out of camps in the mountains of northern Iraq.
"In the last few months, we have seen their incursions (into Turkey) rising and they are attacking our security forces," Gul told the joint news conference.
He said Turkey expects both the United States and the new Iraqi government to do more in the fight against the PKK.
