Monday, June 04, 2007
Turkey to deliver report to U.N. on PKK
Security, Region
(Reuters) - Turkey will deliver a report to the United Nations this week spelling out its concerns about militant Kurdish separatists in Iraq and reaffirming its legal right to take action against them, an official said on Monday. The news comes as Turkey reinforces its troops along the border with Iraq and the powerful army General Staff stresses its readiness for a cross-border operation to crush guerrillas of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
"Diplomacy first," said Monday's Sabah newspaper headline, saying the U.N. move prepared the legal and diplomatic ground for the possible military operation, which has already sparked alarm in the United States, Turkey's NATO ally. The Foreign Ministry official told Reuters Turkey's permanent U.N. representative, Baki Ilkin, would hold talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week.
"The terrorism incidents will be explained. A report will be presented concerning the explosives and weapons we have determined are coming (into Turkey) from northern Iraq," the official said. "More cooperation from the United Nations is requested on this matter," he added. The official declined to comment on the possibility of military action in northern Iraq.
"Diplomacy first," said Monday's Sabah newspaper headline, saying the U.N. move prepared the legal and diplomatic ground for the possible military operation, which has already sparked alarm in the United States, Turkey's NATO ally. The Foreign Ministry official told Reuters Turkey's permanent U.N. representative, Baki Ilkin, would hold talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week.
"The terrorism incidents will be explained. A report will be presented concerning the explosives and weapons we have determined are coming (into Turkey) from northern Iraq," the official said. "More cooperation from the United Nations is requested on this matter," he added. The official declined to comment on the possibility of military action in northern Iraq.
Labels: Baki Ilkin, PKK, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Turkey, U.N.
