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Turkey prime minister to meet with
President Bush today
2.10.2006 |
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WASHINGTON - A
deep cultural misunderstanding between Western and
Muslim societies is fueling radical groups around
the world, Turkey's prime minister says.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to
meet Monday with President Bush at the White House.
In remarks Sunday night at Georgetown University,
Erdogan said overcoming differences between the West
and Muslims "requires global cooperation."
"We will either all win, or we will all lose," he
said.
Turkey's battle with the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan
Workers Party, or PKK, will be a focus of Erdogan's
meeting with Bush. Turkish news media quoted Erdogan
as saying he would ask Bush to fight the Kurdish
rebels based in northern Iraq.
Some in Turkey complain about what they see as a
lack of U.S. cooperation in the fight against the
militants, who frequently launch deadly attacks on
Turkish targets.
During the Georgetown event, the prime minister made
only passing mention of his meeting with Bush. He
said through an interpreter that the two countries
share "common goals and common difficulties" and
that Bush endorses efforts to narrow differences
between the West and Muslims.
The United States has pledged its support in
cracking down on the PKK rebel group. But Washington
has also warned Turkey against pursuing the rebels
into northern Iraq, fearing an incursion would
alienate Iraqi Kurds.
Separately, Erdogan also made a pitch for Turkey's
membership in the European Union, saying that
"despite all the uncertainty surrounding us, we have
become a country ... that is exporting security and
stability to the region."
Including Turkey in the EU, he said, would add
"strategic depth" to the organization, moving it
from a regional actor to a global power.
After Erdogan's meeting with Bush, the prime
minister planned to fly to London for talks Tuesday
with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
AP
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan".
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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