Erdogan: U.S. actually assumed position of conniving at Kurdish terrorist acts

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told the U.S. that future relations between the two countries depend on "urgent" action being taken against Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. "Actually, the U.S. assumed position of conniving at Kurdish terrorist acts," he said.



Erdogan's warning came on Tuesday as Turkish forces pounded Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions near the mountainous border.



In a speech in parliament, Erdogan told deputies of his Justice and Development Party that the issue would dominate his meeting with George Bush, the U.S. President, at the White House on November 5.



"I will openly tell him that we expect concrete, urgent steps against the terrorists," he said.



"I will openly tell him that we expect concrete, urgent steps against the terrorists," he said. "The problem of the PKK terrorist organization is a sincerity test for everybody. I will tell him that this test carries great importance for the region and in determining the fate of our future relations."



Ankara has accused the U.S. and world powers of not doing enough to prevent PKK fighters from using bases in northern Iraq to stage attacks across the border in Turkey.



Erdogan said he would also seek an explanation from Washington on how U.S. military hardware given to Iraqi forces had ended up in PKK hands, Trend reports.