Rice Says US, Turkey, Iraq Will Cooperate Against Kurdish Rebel

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States, Turkey and Iraq will jointly counter Kurdish rebels launching attacks inside Turkey from their bases in northern Iraq.

Speaking to reporters aboard a flight to Turkey Friday, Rice called the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, a “common enemy,” and said the allies will work together to have an “effective” way of dealing with them.

Rice also warned against any action that could destabilize the situation in northern Iraq.

The top U.S. diplomat is to hold talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul in Ankara later Friday.

And, on Saturday, in Istanbul, Rice will attend a ministerial-level international meeting about Iraq.

In another development, Turkey says its planned economic sanctions aimed at Kurdish rebels and their supporters will not harm citizens who are not affiliated with the PKK.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Thursday declined to announce what the new economic sanctions would include. But he told reporters in Ankara that Turkey does not want to cause difficulty to civilians.

Ankara accuses PKK rebels of launching attacks in southeastern Turkey from bases in Iraq.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan is to meet President Bush at the White House on November 5.

Mr. Bush says he looks forward to discussing ways the United States and Turkey can work together to stop rebel attacks.

by VOA News

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