ANKARA - The government has launched the highest-level initiative after nearly 100 U.S. soldiers raided bureau of Turkish Special Force Team in Suleymaniyah in northern Iraq and took 11 Turkish soldiers to Kirkuk.
Sources told the A.A correspondent on Saturday that Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul was informed on the developments on his way back from Britain.
After returning to Turkey, Gul has launched an initiative both in Ankara and Washington D.C.
U.S. Embassy Undersecretary Robert Deutch was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, Gul called U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on the phone.
Powell told Gul that whatever was necessary would be done.
Ankara protested the incident and requested information from the United States.
Also, Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting about the developments overnight.
Earlier, it was claimed that U.S. soldiers raided the bureau upon a tip-off saying that some Turks planned to assassinate Kurdish governor of Kirkuk.
(UK-MS) 05.07.2003