US official points to ’new thinking’
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Hürriyet Dailn News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 14, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The US sees a new and positive approach on the PKK issue on both sides of the border. Commenting on the anti US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s recent visit to Turkey, Richard Schmierer says al-Sadr’s apparent wish to participate in the political system is a positive development
The United States has seen new thinking from both the Iraqi and Turkish sides as they look into the basis of the terrorism issue and other potential tensions involving the Kurdish community, a senior U.S. official said.
"I think the dynamic of that issue is moving in a positive direction, because we have seen both on the Iraqi side and the Turkish side a sort of new thinking, a sort of more, I would say, creative thinking, or at least thinking in ways to try to get into some of the fundamental aspects of the issue," Richard Schmierer, deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told participants in a video conference held at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Ankara late Tuesday. Schmierer oversees the State Department’s activities in Iraq. "I am optimistic that if dialogue continues, ultimately we can get into the basis of the problems and that would eliminate the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or] PKK and other potential tensions involving the Kurdish community or Turkish-Iraqi relations." The PKK using northern Iraqi territory as a springboard for deadly attacks in southeastern Turkey is a serious concern for Turkey.
"What we’ve seen most recently, vis-?-vis the PKK, has been a new and positive approach on both sides of the border," said the U.S. official, who stressed that Turkey’s commitment to looking at the issue in a broader way and including the political, cultural and social aspects at the heart of the PKK’s stated agenda was very "encouraging."
"I think the fact that Turkey is working closely with Iraq and particularly also with the officials of the Kurdistan regional government to address some of the fundamental issues involving the Kurdish community is a positive step. I think that will really have a very good impact on the efforts to find a deal with the PKK issue," he said. "I would be hesitant to estimate a timeline, but certainly all indications are [for] a weakening of the PKK and weakening of support for the PKK." In response to a question about anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s recent visit to Turkey, Schmierer said al-Sadr’s apparent wish to participate in the political system was a positive development for Iraq. The cleric has publicly stated that he is disbanding his militia and turning his movement into a social-welfare movement. "In that sense, I would encourage people to engage him to keep moving in that positive direction," Schmierer said. "I am quite confident that if Turkish officials met with Moqtada al-Sadr, which they did, I am sure that was their message to him as well. He can play a role politically; he should not be looking to challenge the government from a security point of view."
Visit to Kirkuk
Schmierer was in the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk last week for talks with officials, including the representative of the Turkmen community. He said welcomed the U.N.-proposed report on the future status of Kirkuk as a "good foundation for further discussions in resolving the issue." The contents of the document, which was very recently submitted to Iraqi officials, have not yet been officially announced.
On Tehran’s strikes at the PJAK, the Iranian arm of the PKK, Schmierer said: "Clearly we wouldn’t like to see any kind of military activity, but particularly military activity that comes across the border into northern Iraq. We would agree with Iraqi concerns that any Iranian activity of that nature is really unacceptable." On the Turkish military’s air strikes against the PKK in northern Iraq, he said the cooperation between Turkey and Iraq has been one where there is coordination with the US on the security aspects of the PKK issue and the northern border. "We don’t have such a thing on Iran’s side. We don’t have that kind of coordination or planning [there], but on the Turkey side, we do."
"I think the dynamic of that issue is moving in a positive direction, because we have seen both on the Iraqi side and the Turkish side a sort of new thinking, a sort of more, I would say, creative thinking, or at least thinking in ways to try to get into some of the fundamental aspects of the issue," Richard Schmierer, deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told participants in a video conference held at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Ankara late Tuesday. Schmierer oversees the State Department’s activities in Iraq. "I am optimistic that if dialogue continues, ultimately we can get into the basis of the problems and that would eliminate the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or] PKK and other potential tensions involving the Kurdish community or Turkish-Iraqi relations." The PKK using northern Iraqi territory as a springboard for deadly attacks in southeastern Turkey is a serious concern for Turkey.
"What we’ve seen most recently, vis-?-vis the PKK, has been a new and positive approach on both sides of the border," said the U.S. official, who stressed that Turkey’s commitment to looking at the issue in a broader way and including the political, cultural and social aspects at the heart of the PKK’s stated agenda was very "encouraging."
"I think the fact that Turkey is working closely with Iraq and particularly also with the officials of the Kurdistan regional government to address some of the fundamental issues involving the Kurdish community is a positive step. I think that will really have a very good impact on the efforts to find a deal with the PKK issue," he said. "I would be hesitant to estimate a timeline, but certainly all indications are [for] a weakening of the PKK and weakening of support for the PKK." In response to a question about anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s recent visit to Turkey, Schmierer said al-Sadr’s apparent wish to participate in the political system was a positive development for Iraq. The cleric has publicly stated that he is disbanding his militia and turning his movement into a social-welfare movement. "In that sense, I would encourage people to engage him to keep moving in that positive direction," Schmierer said. "I am quite confident that if Turkish officials met with Moqtada al-Sadr, which they did, I am sure that was their message to him as well. He can play a role politically; he should not be looking to challenge the government from a security point of view."
Visit to Kirkuk
Schmierer was in the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk last week for talks with officials, including the representative of the Turkmen community. He said welcomed the U.N.-proposed report on the future status of Kirkuk as a "good foundation for further discussions in resolving the issue." The contents of the document, which was very recently submitted to Iraqi officials, have not yet been officially announced.
On Tehran’s strikes at the PJAK, the Iranian arm of the PKK, Schmierer said: "Clearly we wouldn’t like to see any kind of military activity, but particularly military activity that comes across the border into northern Iraq. We would agree with Iraqi concerns that any Iranian activity of that nature is really unacceptable." On the Turkish military’s air strikes against the PKK in northern Iraq, he said the cooperation between Turkey and Iraq has been one where there is coordination with the US on the security aspects of the PKK issue and the northern border. "We don’t have such a thing on Iran’s side. We don’t have that kind of coordination or planning [there], but on the Turkey side, we do."