WASHINGTON D.C. - "General Ralston`s efforts will continue," said Sean McCormack, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, upon Turkey`s special envoy for countering terrorism retired general Edip Baser`s removal from office yesterday.
Upon a question on USA`s opinion regarding the issue during his daily briefing yesterday, McCormack said, "Certainly, the efforts continue and General Ralston`s efforts will continue. It`s too important not to keep at this issue because understandably, in Turkey, this is a very emotional issue. It also has very practical, real world concerns. We share those real world concerns".
"Turkey and Iraq are neighbors and that situation is not going to change, so we believe in everybody`s interest to try to work together cooperatively to address such issues, especially one that is of such concern to the Turkish Government and frankly to us as well," McCormack affirmed.
Noting that he did not talk with General Ralston about his thoughts on having a new counterpart, McCormack said, "But I`m sure that the Turkish Government will continue to engage seriously on this issue. Certainly, we are and I would expect that the Iraqi Government would as well".
McCormack also said a terrorist organization should not be able to perpetrate acts of terror, whether in Turkey or elsewhere.