Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Turkey, Iraq sign counterterrorism pact against PKK
Regional
(Washington Post) - Turkey and Iraq agreed Tuesday to work together to halt cross-border attacks being staged by Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. Turkey has vowed to send its forces into northern Iraq unless Iraq's government or the United States curbs the activities of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party. The group seeks greater autonomy for the mostly Kurdish enclaves in southeastern Turkey. On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed a counterterrorism pact that forces Iraq to commit itself to tackling the rebels.
"We have reached an agreement to spend all efforts to end the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in Iraq," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with Maliki. But Maliki stressed that Iraq's parliament would have the final say on any actions taken to root out the rebels.
"We have reached an agreement to spend all efforts to end the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in Iraq," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with Maliki. But Maliki stressed that Iraq's parliament would have the final say on any actions taken to root out the rebels.
Labels: counterterrorism pact, Iraq, Nouri Al-Maliki, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
