US and Turkey discuss PKK measures

20/11/2007| IslamWeb

Senior US generals have met Turkish army representatives to discuss cracking down on Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

General David Petraeus, chief US commander in Iraq, with General James Cartwright, vice-chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, discussed exchanging intelligence with the Turkish delegation.

Turkey has massed up to 100,000 troops, backed up by tanks, artillery and warplanes, along its mountainous border with Iraq for a possible incursion to root out an estimated 3,000 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) hiding there.

However, Iraq's foreign minister said a major Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq is now less likely, citing progress made in talks between Ankara and Baghdad.

Hoshyar Zebari said: "I think the danger is still there, to be honest, but we believe the chances of a major invasion are less now, but we are working very closely now with the Turkish government to find [a] reasonable solution for both countries."

Nato allies

Tuesday's talks between the US and Turkey follow a meeting on November 5 in Washington between George Bush, the US president, and Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister.

At that meeting, Bush pledged more help to Turkey, a Nato ally, in fighting the PKK.

Roughly two weeks later, General Ergin Saygun, deputy chief of the Turkish General Staff, met Petraeus and Cartwright to discuss "co-operation and comprehensive sharing of intelligence in the continuing struggle with our common enemy the PKK", Turkey said in a statement.

Washington and Baghdad have urged Turkey not to mount a major incursion into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq, fearing this could destabilize the wider region.

Speaking to his ruling AK Party on Tuesday, Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's right to stage a cross-border operation if it deemed it necessary, but put more emphasis on political and diplomatic means.

"Nobody should expect emotion from us... This issue has political, diplomatic and military dimensions. Now we are engaged in the diplomatic dimension," he said.

Analysts say Erdogan's government is reluctant to authorize a major incursion, especially as winter looms in the mountainous region, but is under heavy public pressure to take firm action and to keep up pressure on Washington and Baghdad to act.

PHOTO CAPTION

PKK fighters in northern Iraq