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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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Posted on 07/16/2003 5:19:08 AM PDT by a_Turk
ISTANBUL, Turkey - The United States on Wednesday endorsed a statement expressing regret over the detention of 11 Turkish soldiers, a day after Turkey apparently slipped up and released the statement without Washington's approval.
The joint statement was meant to patch up Turkish-U.S. ties strained by the July 4 capture of the Turkish soldiers, but the mixup over the timing of its release struck a sour note.
On Wednesday, however, the U.S. Embassy issued an official English version of the statement bearing the names of John B. Sylvester and Koksal Karabay, the U.S. and Turkish generals who led the investigation into the detentions.
"It is now in fact a joint statement. It was a timing issue. It was bureaucratic procedure," a U.S. Embassy official said on condition of anonymity.
Turks were furious after news of the July 4 raid broke. U.S. troops detained the Turkish soldiers in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah on allegations they were planning to assassinate an Iraqi Kurdish official.
The U.S. military failed to submit any convincing evidence and Turkey denied any such plot.
The Turkish Chief of Staff's office released the statement on Monday in Turkish following a joint investigation into the detentions. According to the official English translation of the statement released by the U.S. Embassy Wednesday, "both sides expressed regret that this incident occurred between allied troops" and pledged to take measures "to enhance future coordination and cooperation."
Turkish-U.S. relations have been strained since March, when Turkey rejected a U.S. request to allow the deployment of 60,000 U.S. troops for the war in Iraq (news - web sites).
Turkey has long maintained thousands of troops in northern Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels who seek autonomy from Turkey and have set up bases in northern Iraq. Turkish special forces have been working ethnic Turkmen there to counterbalance the growing Iraqi Kurdish influence.
PUK leader Talabani canceled his trip to Turkey after the investigation found that it was he who misled the US troops.. Talabani is on Irak's new ruling council..
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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We are being played for lumbering, clumsy fools by the Kurds.
I doubt very much this statement is true.
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