|
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration
cautioned Turkey against pursuing Kurdish militants
across the border into Iraq, saying it would be a
difficult operation that could have "unintended
consequences.''
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said
Monday the PKK militants posed a challenge to
Turkey, and he condemned attacks on "our friend and
NATO partner.''
But while Turkey defends its border with Iraq and
works with the United States to counter terror,
"cross-border military action'' would be a mistake,
Fried said.
He suggested efforts to promote a unified and
democratic Iraq could be damaged, but otherwise did
not elaborate on his warning.
Turkey has felt the sting of terror attacks. On
Saturday, a bomb destroyed a minibus in an Aegean
beach resort, killing five people.
The State Department on Monday said, "Senseless
attacks such as this only reinforce our
determination to combat terrorism wherever it
appears and no matter who is responsible.''
A top commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or
PKK, Zubeyir Aydar, condemned the attack in a
statement Saturday while the PKK's military wing
said it had nothing to do with the bombing.
But the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons Organization, a
hardline group believed to be linked to the PKK,
claimed responsibility for a bombing attack in the
nearby resort of Cesme that wounded 21 people.
Fried's remarks were made in response to questions
after he delivered a speech on U.S. relations with
Turkey to the Washington Institute of Near East
Policy, a private research group.
The speech was prepared by Undersecretary of State
Nicholas Burns, who was diverted to deal with the
visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In the speech, the Bush administration praised
Turkey as both a U.S. partner and "very much a part
of Europe.'' The speech counseled Turkey to be
patient in seeking membership in the European Union
but made clear Turkey had U.S. support.
"Our common values and interests draw us together,''
Fried said in Burns' behalf.
But on dealing with the outlawed PKK, Fried
questioned any decision by Turkey to send troops
into Iraq in pursuit.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week
Turkey reserved that right but had no immediate
plans to take such action.
Both the United States and the European Union
classify the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Turks worry the war in Iraq could lead to Iraq's
disintegration and creation of a Kurdish state in
the northern areas. That could embolden Kurds in
southeastern Turkey, where the Turkish army has been
battling Kurdish rebels since 1984. The fight has
left 37,000 dead.
"We share the view that the PKK is a terrorist
organization,'' Fried said. "There is no place in
Iraq for the PKK.''
AP
Top |
® 