STATEMENTS BY U.S. OFFICIALS

General Ralston (left) and General Baser (right) meet with Foreign Minister Gul (center).

Remarks by Gen. (Ret.) Joseph Ralston
Special Envoy For Countering The PKK
Following Meetings at the Foreign Minister’s Residence

Ankara, October 12, 2006

GENERAL BASER:  Good afternoon.  As you know, this is our second meeting with General Ralston.  We have had fruitful discussions during this second meeting.  Basically, we have refreshed our agreement on important aspects of the fight against terrorism that is included in our job description.  We have made sure that there are no issues left in which we have disagreement.  We particularly talked about the sensitivities of the Turkish public, and come to an agreement, or rather have deepened our existing agreement, on those issues as well.  We have put forward more concrete proposals on the steps that we will take.  Of course, these talks will continue in the future.  We will meet again in the future and talk about different proposals, and convey them to the relevant authorities.  What is important, and what I want to emphasize is that my counterpart General Ralston, his team and we have totally agreed on the sensitivities and all basic principles of this task of ours, leaving no differences.  So, I believe that the steps that we will take from now on will be based on a very strong infrastructure.  We will keep our esteemed public informed of our future steps.  Now, I would like to extend my respects to all of you and leave the floor to my distinguished counterpart General Ralston.

GENERAL RALSTON:  Thank you, General Baser.  Just let me say good morning to you and emphasize that I am in complete agreement with what General Baser has just told you.  This was our second set of meetings in person.  But in the interim we have been on the telephone, we are in e-mail contact, and we will continue to be as we work together on this very serious issue.  And I would just like to emphasize to the Turkish people that the United States of America understands the seriousness of terrorism, and that we are full partners with our Turkish friends and allies as we try to go about solving this problem.  And I think we’ve got time for a couple of questions, if anyone has a question. 

QUESTION:  General Ralston, Washington has called the PKK to lay down its arms, and after a while PKK has announced a ceasefire.  I want to ask you, has US asked any Kurdish official, any Kurdish politician to convince PKK on a ceasefire or lay down its arms?  Thank you.

GENERAL RALSTON:  After I left our last set of meetings here in Ankara, I went to Iraq where I met with a wide range of Iraqi officials from the President, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the regional authorities.  And in every one of those meetings, I emphasized that the PKK terrorists are not in Iraq’s interest, they are not in the interest of any region of Iraq, and that the PKK not only needed to lay down its arms, but renounce violence.  And that is the process that we are on. 

QUESTION:  (to General Baser) You have said that General Ralston and you are in complete agreement about all the issues in the fight against the PKK.  Does that include a military operation when necessary?

GENERAL BASER:  Yes.  As General Ralston also indicated in his previous statements, a military operation, like all other options, is on our table.  Of course, such an operation is not off the agenda as long as its nature and timing are approved by the relevant authorities on both sides, if we are talking about a joint operation.

QUESTION:  May I ask Mr.Ralston, please? General Ralston, your opinion about a military…

GENERAL RALSTON:  As General Baser has said, and as I have said previously, all options are on the table.  What I did say, and I hope it is not misinterpreted, I did say as a former military officer, as any military officer, as anyone who has worn a uniform understands that the use of force is a very serious issue.  We do not take it lightly.  It should not be the first option.  We should look at a wide range of options.  In the past, I have recommended the use of force when other options had been exhausted.  And I will continue to recommend force in the future when I believe that it is necessary.  And I believe that General Baser and I are in complete agreement with this.  So the fact that I say it is not the first option that we should do, please don’t misunderstand that that is a lack of resolve or a lack of will.  Only, I speak as a military officer that the use of force is not the first option that we should automatically gravitate to.

QUESTION:  (to General Baser) You said that you talked about more concrete steps.  Do these steps include the closure of Mahmur camp?  And the second question, when will the Iraqi side participate in your meetings?

GENERAL BASER:  On the first part of your question, yes, the issue that you have just mentioned was one of our topics.  And on the second question, the progress of our bilateral talks, in time will answer this question.  When General Ralston and I together decide that it is time for our Iraqi counterpart to join the talks, he will be included in our meetings as issues of interest to them come up.

GENERAL RALSTON:  I am in complete agreement with what General Baser says.  One last question.

QUESTION:  We know that the PKK has announced a unilateral ceasefire.  Does that change anything in your mission?  Does it facilitate it or (inaudible)?  What is your view of the cease fire (inaudible)

GENERAL RALSTON:  First of all, and I have said before, we have to be careful with the use of the word “ceasefire”, because it means different things to different people.  What I have re-emphasized is that the PKK needs to lay down their arms, they need to renounce violence.  And I am pleased that as a first step they have done that.  That does not eliminate the problem.   Because we still have the PKK operating in a sanctuary in Iraq.  And we have to deal with that issue.  But I do believe that it is a useful first step.  Thank you very much.