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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 12 2008
Gül denies discussing `political solution' to PKK problem in US
President Abdullah Gül has dismissed discussing a political solution
to the problem of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) with
the US administration during his visit to Washington.
Gül, speaking at a press conference yesterday in New York just before
wrapping up his visit to the United States, said he would not discuss
any such issue that is open to "exploitation in a political sense."
Before Gül's remarks, the US State Department made it clear that the
US administration did not call for political dialogue between the
Turkish government and the PKK during a meeting between US President
George W. Bush and Gül on Tuesday. Earlier in the week, White House
officials said the need for a long-term political solution was one of
the highlights of the Tuesday meeting, sparking speculation in Turkey
that the US had promoted talks with the PKK.
"We favor putting the PKK out of business. It's a terrorist
organization," US State Department deputy spokesperson Tom Casey told
reporters at a daily briefing when asked whether Washington is in
favor of political dialogue between Turkey and the PKK, which is
listed as a terrorist organization by a large majority of the
international community, including the United States.
Following his meeting with Bush, Gül had said that Turkey is working
on economic and social measures to address certain internal problems
but that this does not mean it is seeking a political solution to the
problem of terrorism.
"You can't seek a political solution here, just like you can't seek a
political solution to al-Qaeda attacks," Gül said then.
At a joint press conference following their meeting, the Turkish and
US leaders reiterated their commitment to cooperation in the fight
against the PKK, which uses northern Iraqi bases as a springboard for
attacks on Turkey, but White House officials insisted that Bush also
urged Ankara to find a long-term political solution to the problem.
"We want political dialogue between the government of Turkey and the
government of Iraq which is ongoing and continuous over how to defeat
the PKK. I don't believe anyone in the US administration has ever
called for dialogue with a terrorist organization," Casey told
reporters, when reminded of Gül's remarks in which he referred to
al-Qaeda attacks.
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ADL's Foxman reassures Gül on stance against Armenian bill
Abraham Foxman, chairman of a major US Jewish group, the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has said that the group hasn't been
favoring US Congress' adoption of a resolution on Armenian claims of
genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire.
Foxman's remarks came on Thursday in New York following a meeting
with Turkey's President Abdullah Gül. The ADL last year reversed its
long-held policy and decided to call killings of Anatolian Armenians
during the World War I era genocide, although it still says two
resolutions pending in the US Congress endorsing the genocide claims
would not help resolve disputes between Turks and Armenians. The
policy shift had angered Turkey, which categorically rejects the
genocide charges.
"Our stance on the resolution hasn't changed and we continue opposing
it. We are against approaching this issue politically," Foxman was
quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency, while he also noted
that the resolution issue didn't come up on the agenda during his
meeting with Gül.
While in New York, Gül also held talks with representatives of the
Meskhetian Turks, a minority group ousted from the then Soviet
Republic of Georgia. The Meskhetians were bounced around to other
Soviet republics until settling in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia.
Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
12.01.2008
Today's Zaman Washington
Jan 12 2008
Gül denies discussing `political solution' to PKK problem in US
President Abdullah Gül has dismissed discussing a political solution
to the problem of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) with
the US administration during his visit to Washington.
Gül, speaking at a press conference yesterday in New York just before
wrapping up his visit to the United States, said he would not discuss
any such issue that is open to "exploitation in a political sense."
Before Gül's remarks, the US State Department made it clear that the
US administration did not call for political dialogue between the
Turkish government and the PKK during a meeting between US President
George W. Bush and Gül on Tuesday. Earlier in the week, White House
officials said the need for a long-term political solution was one of
the highlights of the Tuesday meeting, sparking speculation in Turkey
that the US had promoted talks with the PKK.
"We favor putting the PKK out of business. It's a terrorist
organization," US State Department deputy spokesperson Tom Casey told
reporters at a daily briefing when asked whether Washington is in
favor of political dialogue between Turkey and the PKK, which is
listed as a terrorist organization by a large majority of the
international community, including the United States.
Following his meeting with Bush, Gül had said that Turkey is working
on economic and social measures to address certain internal problems
but that this does not mean it is seeking a political solution to the
problem of terrorism.
"You can't seek a political solution here, just like you can't seek a
political solution to al-Qaeda attacks," Gül said then.
At a joint press conference following their meeting, the Turkish and
US leaders reiterated their commitment to cooperation in the fight
against the PKK, which uses northern Iraqi bases as a springboard for
attacks on Turkey, but White House officials insisted that Bush also
urged Ankara to find a long-term political solution to the problem.
"We want political dialogue between the government of Turkey and the
government of Iraq which is ongoing and continuous over how to defeat
the PKK. I don't believe anyone in the US administration has ever
called for dialogue with a terrorist organization," Casey told
reporters, when reminded of Gül's remarks in which he referred to
al-Qaeda attacks.
----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
ADL's Foxman reassures Gül on stance against Armenian bill
Abraham Foxman, chairman of a major US Jewish group, the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has said that the group hasn't been
favoring US Congress' adoption of a resolution on Armenian claims of
genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire.
Foxman's remarks came on Thursday in New York following a meeting
with Turkey's President Abdullah Gül. The ADL last year reversed its
long-held policy and decided to call killings of Anatolian Armenians
during the World War I era genocide, although it still says two
resolutions pending in the US Congress endorsing the genocide claims
would not help resolve disputes between Turks and Armenians. The
policy shift had angered Turkey, which categorically rejects the
genocide charges.
"Our stance on the resolution hasn't changed and we continue opposing
it. We are against approaching this issue politically," Foxman was
quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency, while he also noted
that the resolution issue didn't come up on the agenda during his
meeting with Gül.
While in New York, Gül also held talks with representatives of the
Meskhetian Turks, a minority group ousted from the then Soviet
Republic of Georgia. The Meskhetians were bounced around to other
Soviet republics until settling in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia.
Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
12.01.2008
Today's Zaman Washington