US, Turkey to cooperate against Kurdish rebels
2/11/2007 16:59
US President George W. Bush said yesterday that he will discuss with
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in their White House meeting next
week about cooperation against the Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.
"I look
forward to visiting with Prime Minister Erdogan on this important subject as to
how we can work together to prevent people from coming out of mountain ranges to
do harm to Turkish troops," Bush said.
According to media reports, Erdogan
has said that he will urge the US side to take urgent steps to counter the
Kurdish rebels.
Turkey's parliament approved on Oct. 17 a government motion
to take a cross-border operation into northern Iraq for pursuing PKK (Kurdistan
Workers' Party) militants who have kept attacking against Turkey's military
targets.
Reports said Turkey has massed up to 100,000 troops, backed by
tanks, artillery, warplanes and combat helicopters along the Iraqi border in
preparation for a possible cross-border operation into northern Iraq where 3,000
Kurdish rebels are believed to be hiding.
The Kurdish rebels have fought more
than 20 years for an independent Kurdish country in southern
Turkey.
Xinhua
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