US pledges to ‘redouble’ efforts against guerrillas

Foreign Minister Babacan expresses Turkish frustration at lack of action

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leave after the press conference in Ankara, Turkey, yesterday.

ANKARA (AFP) – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged yesterday to “redouble” US efforts to combat Kurdish rebels attacking Turkey from northern Iraq, while warning Ankara against unilateral military action.

“We have a common enemy ... This is not just a problem for Turkey, but also for the US and Iraq,” Rice said following talks here with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.

Rice was seeking to dissuade Turkey from launching cross-border military strikes against separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq. Ankara argues that it has little choice given the US and Iraqi failure to help crack down on the rebels.

“The US is committed to redoubling efforts (against the PKK) because we need a comprehensive approach to this problem,” Rice told a joint press conference with Babacan.

Rice acknowledged that the United States had an “obligation” to help Ankara but stressed it would take time and effort to flush out the rebels.

“It is a difficult problem, rooting out terrorists. This is going to take persistence, commitment,” she said.

Babacan welcomed Rice’s assurances but made it clear that Turkish patience had all but run out.

“We are where words have come to an end and action must begin,” Babacan said. “We need to work on methods that will produce effective results.”

Rice stressed that the fight against the PKK must be carefully targetted.

“The United States, Turkey and Iraq... have a common interest in not having events in northern Iraq lead to a destabilization of Iraq as a whole,” she said.

But Ankara is wary of reviving tripartite talks with Baghdad and Washington which have failed in the past to produce concrete action.

“We are against trying, over and over again, mechanisms that have already been tried and have failed,” Babacan said before the talks with Rice.

ISTANBUL (AFP) – Turkey and Iran should work together against separatist Kurdish rebels and their cooperation could include military efforts, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Reza Bageri said here yesterday.

“Turkey and Iran must cooperate on the PKK issue,” Bageri told a group of reporters here. Asked if cooperation might include military efforts, Bageri said: “All kind of cooperation is possible.” But he stopped short of backing Turkey’s threats of military action in northern Iraq.