"State's Fried Says U.S, Turkey Cooperating on Kurd Terrorists
World Bank's Wolfowitz says reforms will enhance Turkey's prosperity
By Vince Crawley
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington – Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried says the United States is increasing its cooperation with Turkey against a Kurdish terrorist group, the PKK, and “we want to increase it still more.”
And in separate remarks, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz urged Turkey to undertake reforms that would prove a Muslim-majority country also can be a prosperous democracy.
Fried, who heads up the State Department’s Europe bureau, said May 18 that it is up to the Turkish government to determine how to deal with the threat of PKK terrorists on its border with Iraq. But he also said Turkey and the new government of Iraq share a common goal of eliminating safe harbors for militants.
“Without getting into intelligence issues, I’m very happy to report to you that our cooperation with Turkey against the PKK is increasing,” Fried said in a roundtable discussion with Turkish diplomats co-hosted by CNN Türk’s Mithat Bereket in Istanbul, and America Abroad Media’s Judy Woodruff in Washington.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, visiting Ankara on April 25, urged Turkey to work with the newly formed Iraqi government to address cross-border terrorism by the PKK -- Kurdistan Workers Party -- a Kurdish separatist group that has sought refuge in neighboring Iraq."
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