Babacan: Turkey will stop northern Iraq from being a terrorist base
The Turkish government is determined to stop northern Iraq from being used by the PKK as a base from which to launch attacks against Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Wednesday.
Speaking before a parliamentary commission in Ankara, Babacan said it must be accepted Turkey still had serious security problems along its southern borders, as evidenced by the recent increase in attacks by the PKK.
"We are determined to focus on this problem which has been bothering Turkey for many years," he said. "We will prevent the north of Iraq from becoming a shelter of terrorism. Our people's safety and country's domestic peace are much more important than all other issues." Turkey has the strength and the will to protect itself against the threat posed by terrorism, the minister said, adding the government was assessing all measures and taking steps to solve this problem.
Babacan said Turkey's policy on Iraq was clear, sincere and consistent, being based on the protection of Iraq's independence, sovereignty as well as national unity and territorial integrity.
The recent developments regarding Iraq and especially problem posed by the PKK's ongoing presence in northern Iraq had become the focal point in Turkey's relations with the United States, with Turkey having a strategic co-operation with Washington on bilateral, regional and international issues, said Babacan.
"Our cooperation contributes to both global and regional peace, security and stability," he said. "It is also important to get concrete results in fight against terrorism, which is the most urgent item of our common agenda, as soon as possible," he said, the Turkish Daily News reports.
Turkey has deployed 100 000 troops at the border to neutralize some 3 500 Kurdish rebels basing in northern Iraq.
Speaking before a parliamentary commission in Ankara, Babacan said it must be accepted Turkey still had serious security problems along its southern borders, as evidenced by the recent increase in attacks by the PKK.
"We are determined to focus on this problem which has been bothering Turkey for many years," he said. "We will prevent the north of Iraq from becoming a shelter of terrorism. Our people's safety and country's domestic peace are much more important than all other issues." Turkey has the strength and the will to protect itself against the threat posed by terrorism, the minister said, adding the government was assessing all measures and taking steps to solve this problem.
Babacan said Turkey's policy on Iraq was clear, sincere and consistent, being based on the protection of Iraq's independence, sovereignty as well as national unity and territorial integrity.
The recent developments regarding Iraq and especially problem posed by the PKK's ongoing presence in northern Iraq had become the focal point in Turkey's relations with the United States, with Turkey having a strategic co-operation with Washington on bilateral, regional and international issues, said Babacan.
"Our cooperation contributes to both global and regional peace, security and stability," he said. "It is also important to get concrete results in fight against terrorism, which is the most urgent item of our common agenda, as soon as possible," he said, the Turkish Daily News reports.
Turkey has deployed 100 000 troops at the border to neutralize some 3 500 Kurdish rebels basing in northern Iraq.
