Turkey Wants United States To Take Steps About Camp Of Terrorist Organization In North Of Iraq

WASHINGTON - Turkey wanted the United States to launch initiatives about ''Mahmur camp'' of the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK in the north of Iraq.
A Turkish diplomat in Washington said, ''we want the United States to take step to close the Mahmur camp, end PKK presence there and for return of our citizens in the camp to Turkey.''
The same diplomat noted that the United States previously thought that ''Mahmur camp was under control of the United Nations (U.N.) and therefore, the issue should be taken up by the U.N.''
''We did not consider this attitude sufficient,'' the diplomat said.
It is stated that there are still hundreds of people, the majority of who were women and children, in Mahmur camp. It is also said that majority of these people want to return to Turkey but the PKK/KADEK terrorists in the camp prevented them from returning to Turkey.
Meanwhile, Turkish diplomat said that the United States could launch initiatives against the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK before February 2004, which was the deadline for those who wanted to benefit from the Reassociation Law, within the scope of the action plan against PKK/KADEK on which an agreement was reached in Ankara last week.
The diplomat added, ''we will see the outcome of the compromise we have reached with the United States to fight against terrorism.''
(BRC-AY) 10.10.2003