Statements by U.S. Officials

CHARGE:  Hello everybody.  It is great to see you all.  I wanted to take an opportunity to talk with you very briefly.  I concluded a meeting just now with Ambassador Nabi Sensoy.  He is, as you know, one of Turkey’s top diplomats.  He is someone that I respect very much, and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to talk to him.  We spent some time talking about the nature of the relationship between the United States and Turkey.  There have been some very good and very productive meetings recently.  You have seen coverage in your own newspapers of the meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Erdogan in New York.  And tomorrow Secretary Rice and Minster Gul will also meet.  These are part of the regular and very close dialogue that we have between our two countries.  We will also have the pleasure of hosting some senior Americans coming to Turkey in the next few weeks.  Our new Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Public Democracy, Karen Hughes, will be coming to Turkey soon, as will the Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, Robert Joseph.

One of the things that I also wanted to mention to you today, and that I came in to talk to Ambassador Sensoy about, are our continuing efforts -- Turkey and America together -- to combat the PKK.  Many of you had the opportunity to speak to General Jones during his recent visit, along with General Smith.  You also saw Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza when he was here and talked about the effort that we want to undertake to shut down PKK organizations that operate outside of Turkey, but that provide support to the PKK and its terrorist activities.  We have had an interagency team of experts in Turkey this week who have engaged with their Turkish counterparts.  What we want to do is to put together the information that we have and work together – Turks and Americans – to find these PKK support groups, to go to where they are, and to shut them down.  And that is the effort that we are engaged in now.  We are trying to work on many different levels and in many different areas to get at this PKK terrorist problem.  As you all know, terrorism is not something that you can deal with on just one level.  It is not one step that shuts down the terrorist problem.  You have to work at it on many different levels.  And so that is the effort that we are engaged in now.  That is what I was talking to Ambassador Sensoy about, and that’s why we have brought the team of experts here to Turkey.  I’ll be happy to take questions if you have them.

QUESTION:  We know that the US is playing a role in Germany in shutting down (inaudible)  Are there going to be more similar steps and what is exactly your role in Germany shutting down (inaudible)?

CHARGE:  Let me, if I may, ask for your indulgence on one point.  Law enforcement activities are very sensitive.  I want to be as transparent with all of you as I can be.  But I have to ask your indulgence in respecting the sensitivity of the things that we are doing.  We are working hard together to try to shut down terrorist groups, and we have to proceed with confidentiality.  We have to proceed in a way that allows us to be effective as we undertake this very difficult and very sensitive work.  So I have to take a pass on that.  I’ll be happy to talk once we have successfully undertaken additional steps.  Perhaps we can talk a bit further about some of those details.  And I mean this seriously.  I want to engage you in this effort as well so that no sensitive information is revealed ahead of time.  That would undermine what we are trying to do.  Thank you very much.

QUESTION:  Ms. McEldowney, the PKK militant on Kandil mountain, Karayilan, said that if America undertakes an operation on Kandil mountain, then they will flow into the Turkish borders, and it will create problems for Turkey.  And if America (inaudible) America should sit at the table and talk to us.  What do you think about this?

CHARGE:  I think that terrorist organizations need to stop undertaking terrorist violence.  And President Bush made very clear when he spoke at the United Nations that all of us, the world together, have to cooperate to do everything possible that we can to stop terrorism and to eliminate those who are committed to undertaking that kind of violence.  And that is my answer to that question and to Mr. Karayilan as well, who has been making such provocative…

QUESTION:  Is it possible for American officials to talk to PKK militants?

CHARGE:  I am unaware that any such discussion has ever taken place.  We don’t negotiate with terrorists.

QUESTION:  We know that Zubeyir Aydar, the head of Kongra-Gel, lives in Brussels.  And Switzerland has given him political refugee status.  Lately Turkey has asked Belgium to arrest Zubeyir Aydar, but the answer was quite interesting, because Belgium said Geneva Convention Article 33.2.  Do you understand this as a representative of a country which fights against terrorism, do you understand somehow that the Geneva Convention is an understandable reason for not arresting Zubeyir Aydar?

CHARGE:  Let me take a pass on that question as well, simply because that is something that has happened between Turkey and Switzerland, and I am not familiar with the exact response that the Swiss gave.  But we will come back to you with some more specifics as we have an opportunity to carry this process forward.  It’s great to see you all.  Thank you very much.  Thanks for coming out today.