Turkey, US discuss combating Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq

Top US commander says rebels not tolerated

By Selcan Hacaoglu - The Associated Press

ANKARA - US Gen. James L. Jones told Turkey yesterday that Turkish Kurdish rebels operating from bases in northern Iraq will not be not tolerated and reiterated cooperation with Turkey in the fight against global terrorism.

Turkey has long demanded that Iraq and the US take stronger measures to stop fighters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, who have been using Iraq as a base to stage attacks inside Turkey.

Jones, the top commander of NATO and of the US forces in Europe, and the deputy commander of the US Central Command, Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, discussed measures that can be taken against the PKK in Iraq with the Turkish General Staff yesterday in Ankara.

«We've reinforced our ability to communicate very rapidly,» Jones told a news conference later. «We're cooperating, I think, at an unprecedented level.»

On its website, the Turkish General Staff said the sides confirmed determination to stop rebel infiltration from Iraq into Turkey.

Turkey has long asked the United States and Iraq to eliminate guerrillas' safe havens, destroy their communications, cut supply lines of arms and explosives as well as financial transactions in accordance with UN Security Council directives regarding terror groups.

The PKK, which is fighting for autonomy in Turkey's southeast, is regarded as a terrorist organization by Washington.

The fight, which has claimed 37,000 lives since 1984, has brought instability to a key US ally strategically straddling Europe and the Middle East and has led some Turks to question the strength of the ties if the US is unwilling to confront the rebels. Some US officials have themselves questioned the relationship with Turkey, a NATO ally, following Ankara's refusal to allow US troops in during the Iraqi invasion.

The United States has cautioned Turkey not to stage a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

«The situation in Iraq is one that now involves a sovereign government in Iraq,» Jones stressed yesterday.

He added, however, that yesterday's meeting was a solid indication of the importance attached to the issue by the United States.

«It should serve, I hope, as a symbol of reassurance to the Turkish public, and to any public actually, who need to be convinced that this struggle against terrorism is real,» Jones said.