US pledges ongoing support to Turkey’s fight with PKK terror

[TheCommander]

Speaking at the 31st annual American-Turkish Council meeting in Washington on Monday, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta reaffirmed US support for Turkey in fighting terrorism, namely the PKK​

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has pledged continuing US support to Turkey in its counterterrorism efforts, offering to help meet the necessary military capability in the fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) taking hold in southeastern Turkey.

Panetta spoke on Monday during the 31st annual American-Turkish Council meeting in Washington, attended by senior Turkish and American officials, among them Minister of Defense İsmet Yılmaz, Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Halit Çevik, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ISA) Joseph McMillan and US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone.

Panetta also stated that the alliance between Turkey and the US has reached a peak in importance not only for the security of both nations but globally, touching on the strong ties established between the two countries and cooperation within the scope of NATO’s Afghanistan mission.

The top US defense official maintained that as Turkey joins the struggle to oust al-Qaeda and associates from Afghanistan, the US would also continue to show strong solidarity with Turkey in order to confront PKK terrorism. Panetta also stated that the PKK problem will not be solved by mere military activity, claiming that continuing political dialogue is also essential to resolution. He expressed gratitude for Turkey’s decisiveness concerning security-building efforts in Afghanistan, pointing out that the country does not hesitate to continue its vital role, even after losing 12 soldiers during a helicopter accident in March.

The PKK issue continues to occupy the Turkish agenda, following an increase in attacks by the terrorist group in southeastern Turkey this spring. On Monday Turkish security forces killed three PKK terrorists, including two women, in an armed fight in an urban area of the Çukurca district of eastern Hakkari province.

Meanwhile, McMillan commented on recent difficulties surrounding the sale of MQ-9 Reapers -- a larger and more modern version of the Predator -- to Turkey, an act that would potentially confer a significant advantage on the military in its anti-PKK efforts. Stating that the decision-making process for drone sales is complicated and highly dependent on the position of the US Congress and administration, McMillan anticipated rapid progress on a clear decision following the US election period in November.

Turkey seeks to buy armed drones from the US, a request that has become controversial with some members of the US Congress refusing to agree to the sale, possibly due to Ankara’s deteriorating relations with Israel, a close US ally. The US administration is reportedly willing to sell the drones to Turkey and is attempting to persuade Congress not to block the sale. President Abdullah Gül and his US counterpart Barack Obama failed to make any progress during recent talks on the sale of drones, and Obama cited Congress as the biggest hurdle to his administration’s determination to make the sale.

US ambassador hopeful on Turkish constitutional process

Ricciardone, painting a bright picture of the future both for Turkey and Turkey-US relations during the conference, noted that he is optimistic about Turkey’s chances of improving its constitution in the future. Defining Turkey’s constitutional process as a new page and historical turning point for the country, Ricciardone anticipated that Turkey will participate with a more democratic constitution in the 32nd session of the conference next year.

Ricciardone claimed that Turkey and the US need to enhance trade and economic ties in the future, which would reflect a strategic alliance between the countries in terms of politics and security.

Turkey says all options are on table

Yılmaz, speaking during the same conference, drew attention to the ongoing security situation in Syria as having potential implications for Turkish security, and claimed that Turkey is ready to take all necessary measures if the threat becomes real danger.

Noting that Turkey currently hosts around 25,000 Syrian refugees in camps located in four different provinces, Yılmaz claimed that along with realization of threats to its own national security and citizens, Turkey would also be ready to act in case of any threats to the Syrians it accommodates.

Inviting the international community to take the necessary actions to end violence in Syria, Yılmaz claimed that giving more time to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad would inevitably result in more casualties in Syria.

Panetta, agreeing with Yılmaz, expressed US concerns over destabilized Syria and the brutal acts of the Assad regime. He indicated ongoing US cooperation with Turkey and the international community to exert more pressure in order to end the suffering of the Syrian people and establish democracy. He also expressed support for Turkey’s leadership role and the example of democracy it provides to many nations in the Middle East and North African region, currently in transitional phases.

Further citing a consensus between the US and Turkey regarding the dangers of Iranian nuclear proliferation, Panetta claimed that the two nations would continue efforts to convince the country that nuclear weaponry would not bring security to Iran nor to the region.

Touching on recent political instability in Iraq, Panetta stated that Turkey and the US would together contribute to the resolution of issues such as the cross-border security threat from Iraq to Turkey, without violating Iraqi sovereignty or meddling in its internal affairs.

US pledges ongoing support to Turkey