WASHINGTON D.C. - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, ''the issue of presence of the terrorist organization PKK in northern Iraq was high on agenda of our meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush. President Bush told us that the sensitivity on the issue would continue in a program. We expect the United States to take some concrete steps to this end.''
Replying to questions of journalists, Prime Minister Erdogan, who proceeded from Boston to Washington D.C. to attend former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's funeral service at the National Cathedral, said, ''the issue of presence of the terrorist organization PKK in northern Iraq was high on agenda of our meeting with President Bush. President Bush told us that the sensitivity on the issue would continue in a program. We expect the United States to take some concrete steps to this end.''
Noting that his meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan had focused on the Cyprus issue and recent developments in Iraq, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''I asked Mr. Annan to support us in our efforts to lift the international embargo against Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).''
Upon a question about his statement on Israel during the G-8 summit, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''I do not have any criticisms against Israel. My criticism was against the administration. We will maintain our economic, political and commercial relations with Israel. I think that wrongful policies of the administration gives rise to anti-Semitism in the world.''
(MS-AÖ) 11.06.2004