WASHINGTON D.C. - Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug said on Monday that Turkey was determined to eradicate terrorist PKK organization.
Addressing a conference on Turkey-U.S. relations --which is organized by Turkish-American Business Council, American-Turkish Council, American Friends of Turkey and Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK)-- in Washington, D.C., Gen. Basbug said north of Iraq was no more a nest for terrorist PKK organization as of December 2007, and noted that, "it is not possible to eliminate the terrorist organization totally unless PKK presence in north of Iraq is rooted out from there."
Gen. Basbug said presence of terrorist PKK organization in north of Iraq posed a threat not only for Turkey but also for Iraq, particularly for security in north of Iraq.
"This presence at the same time has some negative impacts on Turkish-U.S. relations," he added.
Gen. Basbug said international support to PKK lessened and the terrorist organization started to discuss whether they could reach their targets through armed struggle and see there was no place for them in future of Iraq. "Despite all the developments in question, terrorist PKK organization preserves its presence in north of Iraq," he added.
Gen. Basbug expressed pleasure over cooperation and coordination with the United States in dealing with PKK terrorist organization and appreciated intelligence support.
Gen. Basbug said, "the biggest threats the world faces today are violence and terrorist and radical views lying behind. Security also globalized in the world. Global peace and security either exist everywhere in the world or no where in the world."