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Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani said that US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld assured him that Washington would not allow a Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, for cross-border operations against PKK, Turkey Today reports. Noted that Turkey is not happy at all regarding the recent development in Iraq and mainly with the scenario of Iraq being cut in three pieces with the Kurds creating an autonomous state. Meantime, according to political analysts and sources close to the matter, Turkey is holding talks with Iran regarding common action against the Kurds in Northern Iraq.
On a related note, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who paid a one day visit to Turkey, claimed that the US was holding talks with the PKK in Mosul and Kirkuk (in northern Iraq) and Washington supports separatists groups in the region. Larijani added that Tehran had details regarding the talks between US officials and the PKK and they passed on this information to Ankara. According to Larijani, the talks took place a month ago.
As known, Turkey wants the US to take action against the PKK, which has bases in northern Iraq and Washington’s reluctance angers Turkey. Earlier this month, Gen. Bekir Kalyoncu, head of operations department at the chief of general staff’s office, said that Turkey reserved the right to launch cross-border military operations into Iraq to pursue the PKK if conditions required, under the UN charter and other international agreements.
Upon this statement, Sean McCormack, US state department spokesman, said that the US would call upon all of Iraq’s neighbours to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and to work with the government of Iraq on any issue regarding borders. This statement signalled that the US does not want Turkey to carry out cross-border military operations into Iraq.
Larijani seeks Turkish support in dispute over nuclear programme. Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani met with PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and foreign minister Abdullah Gul and sought Turkey’s support in dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Reportedly, Larijani tried to assure Ankara that Iran did not have any military intention and said that as a powerful state in the region Turkey could help solve the problem.
Source: reporter.gr
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