‘THE US MADE NO OBJECTION’
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 8 2007
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul late Tuesday signaled a
cross-border operation into northern Iraq may be in the offing,
saying the U.S. hadn’t objected when he mentioned the possibility of
an offensive against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
Gul, at a press conference after his meeting with U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice, stated, "We asked the U.S. to take concrete
and significant steps in the fight against the terrorist PKK."
Turkey has been unhappy with the level of cooperation in rooting out
militants from the PKK, holed up in the Kurdish region of northern
Iraq.
"Previously, PKK leaders were taking shelter in unfriendly regimes,"
said Gul. "But now PKK leaders are doing interviews on TV channels
in friendly countries."
When asked whether Turkey will take military measures if steps don’t
come soon, Gul replied, "The United States made no objection to this
(the idea of a military operation)."
Stating that Turkey has always had the right under international law
to take cross-border action, he said that if necessary, Ankara won’t
hesitate to take action against the PKK.
"We have conveyed to U.S. officials that they are late in taking
action in northern Iraq, and the Turkish people want to see an
action. U.S. officials are aware of this," Gul said
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European affairs Matt
Bryza, speaking last week, stated that the U.S. understands Turkey’s
uneasiness on the PKK issue, but added, "We haven’t yet formalized
a concrete solution against the PKK."
Bryza said that if concrete solutions are formulated there will be no
need for military operations in northern Iraq. Stressing that northern
Iraq is the most peaceful area of Iraq, he stated that they don’t want
a Turkish military operation there. However he acknowledged that the
U.S. has to fulfill its promise to Turkey.
After U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson last week suggested that
Turkey should cooperate with the Iraqi Kurdish regional government
to eliminate the PKK presence in northern Iraq, his suggestion was
immediately turned down by a senior Turkish official.
"Unfortunately, recent statements and the position of the
administration in northern Iraq are in a way protecting and supporting
the PKK presence," said Turkey’s Envoy for countering terrorism
Edip Baser. He underlined that the current policies of Iraqi Kurdish
leaders are far from satisfactory and so dialogue would not not useful.
Baser said that military is ready for all options but an eventual
decision would be a political one for the national interests of Turkey:
"When the issue is assessed from a realistic perspective, it can be
seen that there are some developments which could not and possibly
would not be tackled. We have to bear in mind those developments and
decide on the most appropriate policies according to the situation,"
he said.
Newsweek reported last week that "unless U.S. forces act decisively
against the PKK, the Turks will warn, Ankara will take matters into
its own hands."
In Washington, when asked whether the U.S. expects Turkey to develop
a mechanism for the return of people in northern Iraq’s Mahmur camp
(to Turkey), Gul said, "People are occasionally return to Turkey in
groups. These citizens are settled in villages, and the process is
continuing about the issue. There are also women and children in the
camp. The important thing is that we have to be sure the camp will
not be controlled by someone else when it is evacuated."
Noting that not only Turkey but also other regional countries are
sensitive about the issue of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk,
Gul said that all countries in the region have some uneasiness about
tensions there escalating. "A population census needs to be done to
determine who can cast votes before the referendum is held in Kirkuk
later this year," he said.
ARA BASLIK: Gul warns US against genocide claims
The Turkish foreign minister also warned the U.S. Congress that
passing a resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide would harm
relations with his country.
"Passage of even a nonbinding resolution in either chamber would
seriously harm our bilateral relations."
Gul described the possible resolution as an irritant to otherwise
close cooperation with the United States on vital issues including
bringing political stability to Iraq, preventing nuclear proliferation
and connecting Asian energy supplies with European markets.
Even as the Bush administration says it will work with members of
Congress to head off the genocide resolution, Gul warned that the
U.S. government should not get involved in the sensitive dispute.
"I believe that Turkish-American relations should not be taken
hostage by this issue," he said. "I see this as a real threat to
our relationship."
The administration also sees the issue as a threat to relations with
Turkey, a key strategic ally. The administration has opposed previous
attempts by members of Congress to pass resolutions
Pelosi turns down meeting
However, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi,
avoided meeting with Abdullah Gul, even when the two leaders were in
the same hotel.
Pelosi, who supports the so-called genocide bill, rejected a request
from the Turkish Foreign Ministry for a meeting with Gul. Nancy’s
office said her schedule during Gul’s visit to the U.S. would be too
busy to fit him in.