Posted on 06/12/2005 9:36:04 AM PDT by Lessismore
US President George W. Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted their desire to overcome differences over the Iraq war that created tensions, as they met here.
Ankara had been one of Washington's closest allies until 2003, when it refused to allow US troops to use its territory as a launching pad for their invasion of Iraq, cooling relations between the two NATO members.
After meeting with Erdogan at the White House, Bush praised democracy in Turkey as "an important example for the people in the broader Middle East."
The White House also expressed support, ahead of the talks, for Turkey's membership in the European Union, despite the crisis caused by the rejection of the European constitution in two key countries.
Erdogan, for his part, said he and Bush "were able to discuss with some depth the issues with regard to Israel, Palestine (and) the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan" and also touched upon Cyprus.
"During our meeting we particularly insisted on a strategic partnership," Erdogan said after the meeting according to a translation by Turkish news agency Anatolia.
Such a privileged relationship is important, he said, adding that it would be pursued.
Asked by journalists whether the United States was adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards Kurdish PKK rebels who have found refuge in the mountains of northern Iraq, Erdogan said Washington was "sharing (Ankara's) concern."
"Information between the two countries continues to be exchanged" but exchanges could be improved, he added.
"God willing, we will start work on the PKK camps in northern Iraq, within the framework of a partnership, if necessary with the help of (US-led) coalition forces and of the Iraqi government," said Erdogan.
Erdogan also justified a recent thaw in relations between Turkey and neighboring Syria which Washington considers a rogue state.
President George W. Bush has renewed a series of mostly economic sanctions imposed on Damascus last year for its alleged sponsorship of terrorist groups.
But Erdogan said: "Before, we did not have exchanges between our intelligence services and Syria's. But they have started now."
These exchanges had been beneficial to the fight against terrorism. Erdogan also noted a link between a visit to Syria by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in April and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
Bush noted that Washington and Ankara shared the goal of working with the Palestinians, "so they can have their own state, their own democracy, living side by side in peace with Israel."
Turkey enjoys good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians, and offered in May to serve as a mediator for the parties. Israel declined the offer.
Bush and Erdogan did not address Turkey's hopes to join the European Union in their comments to the press after the meeting.
But White House spokesman Scott McClellan said earlier that the US position on the subject has not changed, despite obstacles in ratifying the European constitution.
He added that Turkey must "look beyond the European Union to a global context."
The White House spokesman, meanwhile, said Wednesday that the United States intended to work with the Iraqis to combat the rebel PKK, which stands for Kurdistan Workers' Party. The group uses northern Iraq as its base of operations against Turkey.
The group waged a bloody campaign for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Turkey between 1984 and 1999. The conflict has claimed some 37,000 lives.
"We consider them a terrorist organization, and we are working with the transitional government and the government of Turkey to address it," McClellan said.
"We are committed to eliminating terrorists inside Iraq, or terrorists that are coming into Iraq. And that's something we're working on with the transitional government, as well as the government of Turkey when it comes to the PKK."
The head of the chiefs of staff of Turkey's military, General Hilmi Ozkok, complained in late April about US inaction in the face of the PKK, and warned against Iraqi Kurds taking control of the Iraqi oil town of Kirkuk.
My favorite Erdogan quotation: "Democracy is like a streetcar. You ride it to where you want to go, and then you get off."
Screw Turkey! GO Greece!
Now that Europe wants nothing to do with their muslim society, they come crawling back to us. Screw 'em.
This is all about alliance building. Maybe we couldnt come from the North into Iraq, but if we have too, we might be able to get into Syria from the North....
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