U.S. State Department Delegation To Visit Ankara

WASHINGTON D.C - A delegation from U.S. State Department is expected to go to Ankara this week to have meetings about fight with terrorist organization PKK-KADEK.
The U.S. delegation headed by U.S. State Department official Lynn Pascoe is also expected to include officials from U.S. Defense Department Pentagon.
The delegation, which is expected to have contacts in Ankara towards the end of the week, will take up details about eliminating terrorist organization PKK-KADEK from the region within the scope of installing security in the region. The U.S. had promised Turkey to get rid of PKK-KADEK in the region.
An American official said that the U.S. took seriously the PKK-KADEK terrorism and that they were resolved to remove that threat to Turkey from Iraq. Noting that the U.S. included PKK-KADEK in its list of terrorist organizations, the American official said that they would discuss this issue with Turkish officials in details.
American officials said that there was a significant progress in the Turkish-American relations which got tense with the parliamentary decision that opposed deployment of American soldiers in Turkish territories during the Iraqi war.
While American administration expects contribution of more international troops to Iraq, it wants Turkish soldiers to help in installing security in the region if the Turkish government approves it.
Turkey gave the message to U.S. that it would give its decision about sending soldiers to Iraq at the end of September.
(Öª) 09.09.2003