Ambassador's Remarks
Ambassador Wilson’s Interview with IHA, Dondu Sariisik
Ankara
December 28th, 2007
Question: Mr. Wilson, we can say Turkey-US relations enter in a positive way and the cooperation is clear especially in the recent weeks against the PKK. How long this cooperation against PKK will continue?
Ambassador: Well, first, I think US-Turkish relations have been strong for a very long time. Obviously we’re pleased with the improved perceptions of the US in the last several weeks. But I think we’ve been cooperating closely and effectively on interests of great concern to both our countries throughout 2007, throughout 2006, throughout 2005 and frankly in the years before that. President Bush was very clear in his conversation with PM Erdogan at the White House on November 5th and again when they spoke on Monday this week that the United States regards the PKK as the enemy of the United States, of Turkey and of Iraq. He made clear that we’re determined to work more effectively with our partners here in Turkey and with our friends and partners in Iraq to counter the PKK and to put it out business. We’re also determined to work as effectively as we can, together with Turkey with our mutual European allies to take steps to curb the PKK’s activities, to curb its ability to raise money, to curb its ability to find the kind of support that evidently it has gotten from various communities within Europe over a course of a number of years. We’re committed to continuing with that work with Turkey for as long as it takes to complete the job.
Question: Turkey is acting with US intelligence in northern Iraq in order to just target the PKK militants their hideout, but the northern Iraq Kurdish Authority Mr. Barzani made some statements recently accusing Turkey killing civilians and asking Washington’s to talk to Turkey, how do you evaluate his reaction. If PKK is also a problem for Iraq, how Mr. Barzani call Washington’s thought Turkey? Also with the US intelligence Turkey’s acting on?
Ambassador: I think you have two questions. There, one do relates to our intelligence cooperation to Turkey. There’s not a lot that I can say about that. We don’t generally comment too extensively on intelligence matters. The President said that we indicated PM Erdogan that we will try to be as helpful as we could to the Turkish authorities in going after and more effectively targeting the PKK, its personnel and its facilities, wherever they may be. On the matter of the reactions in northern Iraq, the comments by Mr. Barzani that you refer to: I’m America’s Ambassador to Turkey not America’s Ambassador to Iraq so I don’t think I want to comment too extensively on what Mr. Barzani may or may not have said. As I indicated earlier, we want to work as closely as we can, together with our friends and partners here, and with our friends and partners in Iraq to deal with this problem of PKK and put an end to it, put an end to the effective safe havens that the PKK has enjoyed there for too long.
Question: Last question. Turkey and US has other common interests in the region apart from PKK struggle, especially energy. Because in order to meet energy needs Turkey started some talk with Iran as well. But the option with Iran is not welcomed by Washington normally. Do you think in the near future, can we envisage cooperation on energy in Caucasus or Central Asia…?
Ambassador: Again, I want to come back to where we started in my answer to your first question. Our two countries collaborate very closely together on a whole range of regional and other global issues of common interest to us. Whether it is Iraq and standing up to this expanded neighbors of Iraq ministerial process in which Turkey played an absolutely critical role, or on the Middle East where Turkey has been consistently helpful throughout 2007, and Foreign Minister Babacan had an important role in the meeting in Annapolis that took place several weeks ago. Or if you look at energy concerns, and a range of other things, the United States and Turkey are working are working effectively together to advance our mutual interests that proceeds the work that we’re engaged in right now on PKK and will continue long after the PKK is put out of business as a terrorist enemy of the United States and of Turkey and of Iraq. On energy specifically, we achieved a significant achievement this year in the opening of the Turkey to Greece gas pipeline that is the vehicle for taking gas from the Caspian basin across Turkey to Greece. We hope next year or the year after that a further connection from Greece to Italy will be completed that will take Caspian gas as a result of our bilateral cooperation directly into the heart of Europe. That’s important for Turkey’s energy security, that’s important for energy security in Europe. I don’t expect that there’ll be a big breakthrough in 2008 on these things, we have made steady progress on these matters, on energy matters, and I think that we will continue in the coming year. I’m sure that we will continue in the coming year.
Thank you.